KB series - part II

KB seems inclined to experiment with things in general. Today, kutti girl found a water bottle of mine (from the hospital during my delivery) - she pulled out the plastic straw from it and was playing with it. The straw also has a tiny lid to cover it. KG was playing with it and tried blowing air into it to make some sound. When KB got hold of the straw from her, he did the same. But he closed the lid and told me, "Mamma, look at this" and showed me how there is no sound if he closed the lid on the other end and then blew air into it. Then he took his hand pump (for balloons) and inserted the straw into it and pumped air into it, so it made strong sounds each time he pumped. It was fun watching him do these things on his own and enjoying himself with his little discoveries.

KB minds his manners quite a bit I should say! Not that I explicitly taught him to say any of these courtesy words. He seems have to just picked up from watching us say it. Like saying "Bless you" when we sneeze - I never ever taught him to say that. Now if I miss saying it, he tells me "Mamma, I just sneezed. Bless you chollu!". And say I have a plate of snacks laid out for Kutti girl, he will look at me and ask, "Can I have some too?" and only then take from her plate! And when he wants water, he will come to me and say, can you please give me some water?".

KB's infamous eating - or should I say non eating - habits are much the same. Well, at least the violent protests and me having to shove food down his throat to get him going etc have stopped. Now we have a very mature exchange in this regard. When he says enough, I just stop. Sometimes I ask him if he can have 5 more small spoonfuls and he agrees. But that's about it. He is still thin - but as long as he is active I accept it a little better now. I still worry that he does not try new foods easily, will not eat rice meals on his own for sure (at least the others have some chance) and he is in general a difficult one with respect to eating.

KB's personality just shines through best in his role as (little) big brother to KG. He has been so welcoming of her from day one and has been so gracious in allowing B and I to be affectionate towards her and showering his affection on her as well. It truly is a proud moment for me each time I see him just pour, literally pour his love out to her so innocently. When he wakes up from his afternoon nap, he will ask for "Kutti baby" (KG) and the two of us will open the door to where she is sleeping...and I will then sit down on the bed to nurse her. He will immediately lie down next to her chatting away with me about this and that all while holding her hand. She too will pat his head or pinch his nose while nursing! He has literally saved me by alerting me that KG "escaped" to the stairs when I was in the kitchen (barricades in place - but she managed to squeeze her way out). And another time, she was playing with his top on the tiled floor. I just went to the kitchen for a maximum of 15 seconds to get his yogurt from the fridge. I heard KB immediately warn me "Kutti baby top'a vai'le pottunthu!" (Kutti baby has put the top in her mouth!).

Every morning, KG wakes up earlier than KB. B takes her out of our room and goes downstairs and keeps her there until we (me and KB) wake up an hour later. It is so hard for me to believe - but KG just knows - when it is around 7.00 am, she will start screaming (not crying) and generally act very restless because she will want to come upstairs to see us both. As soon B drops her on our bed, she will come to me and climb over me and go on to KB's bed. The same thing happens in the afternoons. She and KB just roll and push and play in his little toddler bed. Then I pretend to me "Mamma Monster" and suddenly attack KB telling him "Mamma Monster wants to bite and chew and eat KB" and just jump onto his bed tickling him a little with my head. He just laughs loudly and then KG joins in and the three of us just frolic rolling and jumping in the bed for some more time before we get ready and go to the park.

To be continued...