18 months

t h e    m o n t h    o f    w o r d s

it started
in early february
with the word
"hot"
as i was warning
her about
touching
the red lever
on the water cooler
outside
in the palapa...





soon
she began
to repeat
many words
we said to her
and
she clearly
understood
what they meant.

hot
light
bubbles
book
agua
aretes
chat
hop
cheese
please
all done
c'est tout

i find it
interesting
that
as her speech
develops
she often
babbles-
a nonsensical
string of
unintelligible
words
that
we
associate
with toddlers.
i realize
that she
is trying out
new sounds.
recognisable words
can be heard
among the babble.

sometimes
the sounds
are mostly
french,
sometimes
the sounds
are clearly
english.



she clearly
prefers words
in certain languages
over others.

aqua, not water
light, not lumière
chat, not cat or kitty

an accumulation
of words
in the language
of valérie.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

this month
we left
sunny 
mexico...











and headed to
the northwest...



via texas...




and stayed
in
rainy 
seattle
for a few weeks...

with
grub's clan,
grandma & grandpa...







where
vee was
obsessed
with
le chat.




then
visiting friends...




and
ending up
with
the bugheart clan...





including
a special visit
from her
great aunts
(tante omas)!



but
vee had
eyes only
for
le chien.

"charlie"
(the dog's name)
was her favorite
word to say.



then
we
finally
headed
home.
to
cold
switzerland.




it seemed
like
a very long
month.

we were
exhausted.



and
another
month had
gone by...

xo

15 months

t h e    r e t u r n    t o    t h e    o c e a n


 . . . . . . .



our time
in seattle
passed quickly
and before
we knew it
it was
time to pack
and head south
to our new life
for 3 months.



i will not
deny
that i was
dreading it.
setting up
life with
a toddler
in yet another
foreign land...
just as
we were
getting comfortable
with our family
in seattle.

but with
all great
adventure
comes
that initial
hesitation
and fear.
that desire
to stay
where it is
comfortable
and familiar.

vee is more
of an adventurer
than i am
and within
hours
of arriving
in puerto escondido
she was
napping
on the bed
like old times.



it was
hard to believe
we were here
such
a short time ago
but
she has changed
so very much.


{top: @ ~ 4months . . . bottom: @ ~ 15 months}

the first few days
that
i was here
i was in a panic.
i was overwhelmed
with change
and fear
that something
would happen
to vee.
it was almost
debilitating...
but as the days
passed and
vee took
to mexico
like a duck
to water
i was able
to relax
and focus
on what
i was here for..
work.



as grub
and wee grub
explored
and got settled into
our new apartment,



i planted,
set-up cages,
and started
experiments
with my colleagues.



vee was
introduced
to
sand &
the ocean..

 
 

she quickly
took a liking
to the life
of a beach baby.



she spends
her
early mornings
on the beach



late morning
and
afternoons
napping



or
walking
back and forth
along
the shopping area
in rinconada
where we live.



sometimes
she goes
with papa
shopping at
super che
or
the mercado...



or
we have
lunch
at a restaurant
nearby.



then back
to the beach
in the late
afternoon
to play
and
watch the sunset.



not
a bad life.

she sure
has changed
a great deal
from the little
baby
we brought here
almost
a year ago.



we are struck
by how much
she has become
her own person.
how often
we see
the little girl
that she is
quickly becoming.



it makes us
catch our breath
sometimes
and try
to live
in these moments
that
we have with
her now.
while she
is still small.
just
the three of us
and
the ocean.

xo

thanksgiving 2012

wee grub
celebrated her
first visit to the u.s.a.
with the best
holiday
america has
to offer...
thanksgiving!

it was
very eventful indeed-
all her
uncles, aunts
and grandparents
were there!

we took advantage
of the rare
gathering
and took
some
family photos
despite the
bad weather
(and lighting)!

 . . . . . . .

bugheart's side



grub's side



uncle joe, aunt kiyomi, cousin jonah, and marla


aunt kiyomi & aunt miya


until next year!

xo