Wet Kisses

I kissed Martin good night and headed for the door.

Martin: Mama, you give wet kisses.

I used to call his 'wet kisses' back in the time he was teething and giving me slobbery kisses. Then Vale started doing the same (and still does) and that is how Martin knows the term.

Martin: Mama, you love giving wet kisses?
Me: Yes, very much!
Martin: I only love a little giving wet kisses.
Me: Do you want to give me one?
Martin: Yes.

It felt pretty dry to me, but still made my day (and night)!

[The conversation is translated from Bulgarian]

Baby Model

Valentin IN and ON the new box of Sam's Club diapers :).

Baptised

Speech Samples

Martin is about 2 and a half years old at that time.

Overheard from my home office while working:

Martin: Баба, ти оздравя, защото ти пи milk chocolate? И аз пия milk chocolate - да оздравеем! (meant to say 'chocolate milk')
М: Вале, Вале, не тука! Баба, махни го! Карай количката - този мотор на мене! Не Вале!
баба: Той няма да ти го вземе - той само го пипа!
М: Не искам той да пипа. Не искам! .... И после ще го остави! :)
баба: Ти наяаде ли се?
М: Още не!
баба: Хайде, закъсняхме за playground.
М: Пьрво да го изпиям milk chocolate... Виж! (finishing his drink)
баба: Браво на тебе!
М: Като дойдем и после ще изядем това.

****
М: Баба, земи една очила да четеме книжки!

****
М: И аз обичам много моркови. И аз обичам зеленчуци. И обичам alma (=almond) butter. Това е една семка - не се еде! И ти няма да го еде?

****
М: Me siento mal! Me siento gordo!

****
М: Пак ще играяме!
баба: Седни да си починеш.
М: Не искам да седя - искам да работя!

****
М: Валето лапа всичко!
баба: Какво прави Валето?
М: Валето прави беля - всичко лапа!

****
М: Бабо, искам тахьн. Аз сьм гладен за тахьн. Искам тахьнче! Не пьрво супа - искам пьрво тахьн! Бабо, тахьнче с мееед! Сльнчоглед тахьн! Ама баба не знае кьде тати купил сльнчоглед тахьн. Ама той купил на магазина бе! Пьк баба не знае че тати купил слънчоглед тахьн на магазина. Не искам фелийка. Не го печей! Това е сандвич. Бабо, помогни ми да ми намажем фелийката... Ние окапахме малко и ние ще го облизаме! И става сандвич! Става хубав садвич кото фелийката като сложим тахьн. Който яаде тахьн трябва да пие вода!

****
М: (after spending the day at his grandparents' and his grandpa not hoeing in his garden this time): Следващия пьт ще копаеме!

****
М: Мамо, четей тази книжка!

****
М: Esta pelota esta rompida!

Correcting Our English

Martin is already correcting our English pronunciation!

The other day at a birthday party I had to translate some instructions to him while he was participating in a circle time led by an instructor. So, I felt a bit guilty for not exposing him to English more and not teaching him English at all.

However, every time his Dad says Woody (the character from Toy Story), Martin is passionately correcting him by saying it with the American D-rolling-to-R sound. And when he gets this rolling D sound, then Martin is not happy with his long WU sound, but corrects it to a shorter WU sound. But what amazes me here is that Martin notices we speak with an accent!!!

I just hope he grows up like the rest of the Americans that think foreign accents are cool... And not be ashamed of us one day!

14 of February - Valentin's Day

This is the last time I use those angel wings on Vale. The whole time of the 'photo session' he had a face of ‘oh, this is so ridiculous!!!’ Not to mention that I had to chase his naked butt all over the second floor – from his room to the bathroom to the office room… and I had to clean the carpet after a peeing accident he so enjoyed watching… How do the pros do it?

Valentin is One Year Old

I just now realize how little I write about Valentin here. No, I am no longer mad at him for not being born a girl. And yes, of course I was in the beginning - but only the first few seconds after he was born while I was still expecting him to be one of those cases when doctors made mistakes on the ultrasound. But that changed the moment they lay his little body on my chest. I remember the warmth he emanated - it went straight to my heart... Now I don't want to change anything about him!

I realize that during Martin's first year, I blogged about every single milestone - how he slept, how he ate, every tooth that came through, about his growth charts, his burps and hiccups... It is not that those are not important now with the second child - no, we are equally excited to see Valentin grow. Hearing him say 'mama' (at 9 months) felt as good and exciting as the first time Martin said it. And we suffered every tooth that came through. And he is still waking me up every single night to nurse, and then I am dead tired for the rest of the day at work! And seeing him roll over, then crawl, then pull up, then taking a few feeble steps by himself (still not walking, though) has been equally exciting as with the first one. The difference this time, however, was that we never doubted these milestones will happen - we were much more relaxed and did not need this feedback to assure ourselves we must be doing something right.

Vale has an incredible personality! He is always smiling, always content. He's been taking stoically Martin's constant pulling his toys out of his hands. He would occasionally do the same to Martin without being afraid of the subsequent pushing and pulling and occasional fall to the ground. Vale would put anything in his mouth. And if he knows it might be dangerous, he would look at me with an evil grin and put it in his mouth faster. He would then laugh out loud at my reaction and clench his teeth tight so that I have a hard time pulling the object out. He would challenge me to play with him by looking teasingly at me, then laughing out load and crawling rapidly away and would scream with pleasure when I start chasing him. He would belly laugh when I catch him and start to tickle him.

On his birthday, however, Vale woke up very cranky and fussy and would cry at the slightest sign I might put him down. Having had runny nose and cough for the past week or so, I doubted ear infection and took him to his doctor. She confirmed my fears and put him on antibiotics. First ear infection on his first birthday - not fun! Still, we gathered la familia to celebrate the occasion and to drink for his health of course. He had a cake with one candle, which he did not have the desire to blow (although he knows how to blow candles and does it every time he sees a lit one), but Martin and Simon were more than happy to help!

Martin seems to have outgrown his jealousy stage. He is very attached to Vale. And continues to act as his advocate - for example, whenever Vale does something that Martin knows is wrong, before I even say something, he would say 'Valeto ne iska time-out' ('Vale does not want a time-out') (of course I still don't put Vale in time-outs and I do it very rarely with Martin, but he has learnt to associate bad behaviour with the prospect of a time-out). And yesterday, I heard Martin talking on his toy phone to the 'firemen that come to take bad boys away' (we had to come up with something to scare him when he absolutely refuses to behave):
"Ne idvaite da vzemete Martin i Valeto - nie dobro momche. I Valeto dobro momche. Toi ne plache", (said at a time when Vale was in the other room crying his lungs off), " i niama da vzemete mama, i tati, i baba, i diado... ".
("Don't come to take Martin & Vale away - we good boy. Vale also good boy. He doesn't cry. And don't take away mama, daddy, grandma, grandpa...")

Must be love!