quito - part 7 - 23 months old

with her primo Santiago.

So we're a month away from Emilia turning two and I can honestly say I don't know where the time goes. Everyone I know who has kids has always said "oh, it goes so fast" and you think, yeah, time does go fast, but with our Pearl it has flown by. I feel like yesterday she was born and now she's almost 2! Good grief! Having said that, she's definitely acting like a 2-year-old. She's much more independent now and we hear a lot of "go away mama", "no mano" (no hand) or "mama solo" (mama, all alone). Of course along with that we now here "i lub you" and "a mucho a ti" (I love yous). Her appetite swings wildly from not eating anything to eating everything in sight. At least she's adventurous in tasting new things. She's loved our time here in Ecuador (which is winding down -we're back on Saturday) - spending time with all her many cousins, our friends and family, and seeing all the beauty and wonder this country has to offer. We've had a wonderful time here, but I think Papa's probably ready to see his girl.

Emilia's vocabulary has exploded this month. New words include: mut(mucho/much), rico (yummy), ouchie (as in ouchie pie/mano/coco - hurt foot/hand/head), 'ucha (llucha), avion (plane), mocos (mucous), chimba (pigtails), meyaya (mermelada/jam), "papa avion byebye" (heard often - papa left on the plane), Bruno, Matteo, Rafa, 'afia (guarderia friends), coche (baby stroller), I eat___ alone, buzo (sweatsuit - she loves wearing the warm-up suits 'yrie loaned her), oto (otro/other), tuyu/todo yucky (everything is yucky or not to be touched), Ana, Mia, Lucas (more cousin's names), monkey, bunny, dog, kitty, azul (blue), Tulu, Ala (Alara), only/solo (only), uno mas (one more), uno, dos, tres, siete, 1,2,3,7), campana (bell), bola (ball), crema (lotion), palo (stick), limpio (clean), "dormez vous" (from Frere Jacques), jugo tuto (juice box w/ straw), Tia Talu (Tia Claudia), Tiaaa (Tia Marga - she's undergone a name change now), alla/aqui (there/here), sana colita sana (what she says when she has an ouchie that needs to be "cured"), se cayo (it/she fell), pueta (puerta - door), casa (house), ese___ (that___), baja/bajo (down), pantlon (pantalon/pant), shirt, cama (bed), uniqua (from Backyardigans), fone (phone), Mama canta (mama sing), 'tuck (stuck) and the engima that is one of her favorite sayings: "uno siete dos a manya" (we have no idea what this means - perhaps it's some sort of communication to her mother ship? - says it at least a couple times a day).

And have we mentioned the incessant singing??? And how she loves to talk on the phone especially to her tias, Gapa (Grandpa- my dad), and Papa.

Thursday we spent the day at my cousin Ma. Fabiola's new house where Emilia got to play with her cousins Alejandro, Pedro and Santiago. They have a huge trampoline (totally dangerous) that Emilia of course fell in love with. We had to pull her off of it when it was time to go.

with Alejandro and Santiago. Alejandro was the ringbearer at our wedding.

doing what all kids like to do - digging in the dirt.

Thursday was also her graduation from "guarderia". Hate to admit it, but actually got a little sentimental about it.

with Luciana - one of the kids from her class.

the graduate

with Manuela

Friday we had lunch at my Tia Susy's house. Amazingly, Emilia lunged at Tia Susy and followed her around the entire time we were there. Tia Susy is a big baby person and I guess kids pick up on that. She loved spending time with Tia Susy and the new grandbaby, Manuela (14 months old, daughter of my cousin Margarita).

There's more from the weekend - but I'll save it for another post.