Lucanese

Luca talks A LOT.  Mostly in some unidentifiable language that is somewhere between Swedish Chef and ex-Yugoslav dictator, but he's clearly having a real conversation.  A common word in his language is 'bi-yau' (I may not have spelled that right), as used in the following sentence: "bi-yau bi-yau bi-yau".  We are still to find the Rosetta Stone on this, but it seems to mean something relatively benign:



He does say a lot in both English and French though and has started in the last two weeks to put words together - "big truck", "bib wet yes?" and the perennial favourite, food words with "more" in the front - "more lait", "more beurre", "more eggs", "more l'eau".  And recently, the new concept of "no more", particularly when it comes to eggs:



Other favourite and much used words include "bebe", "pomme" (still pronounced "momme"), "wet", "hot", and rather adorably, "happy" which is chanted over and over again, when, we guess, he is happy, such as here, walking with papa and mama and Annick, and then using another favourite word ("WOW") when a big truck goes past:

A couple of videos

Luca's favourite past-time in the new apartment:



Et les enfants:

Annick Day 6

 

A quiet day, but we went out for breakfast!  Annick's first cafe - The Abbotsford Club for a superlative double ristretto from El Salvador with avocado toast.

Compare this to two years ago, and Luca's first cafe - Laikon Delicatessen for an excellent short mac and a biscuit.

Annick... or Luca?

Luca... or Annick?

Also compare prawn dumplingness.

Luca 22 May 2010

Annick 6 May 2012

And newborn parental self-portraits.

After breakfast, a quiet day at home although Jason had to pop into work for half an hour.  But got to come home and do this:

La Nina - premiere semaine

Inside.

Outside.

Upside down.

DAY 1

Avec papa le soir (5 mai)

Avec papa le matin (6 mai)

Avec maman.

Getting her ears checked.  Passed!

La famille.

Papa et fille.

On part l'hopital - yay!  La chanson sur le radio dans le taxi - Roxane par the Police.  On a pas un nom pour le petit encore... peut-etre?

DAY 2

Deux jours - belle belle belle.

Un bon grand frere.

Luca ko ko.

Papa aime sa fillette.

Les visites!  Mei Ling ee!

Et le premier bain.

Et ce soir, finalement, un nom!  Annick Xue Li.

DAY 3

Le premier petit dej comme famille.  Hee hee!

Luca est tres doux avec sa soeur.

Meme si elle n'est pas tres interessant.  Pas comme Hairy McLairy et Zachary Quack.

Luca donne les coco bongs speciaux a Annick.

On sort!

Papa et ses enfants.

DAY 4

Deja en rose.

Une journee tranquille.

Un autre petit prawn dumpling!

DAY 5

Les anges.

Nyah!

Already with the attitude.

And the insouciance.

La Nina est arrivee

Annick Xue Li Smith - born 21h45 on 5 May 2012 weighing 3.84kg (8lb7oz).

23 mois

23 mois - in one more month we'll have to start talking about his age in years.

This month:
- lots and lots and lots of talking.  Just words, but also gabbling away in some weird language.  Having some pronunciation issues - une moto est 'mono', une pomme est 'momme' et Ah Kong est 'Ah Nong'
- a bit overstimulated by moving house, but settling in just fine - can reach all the door handles and light switches, wanders around the apartment turning the lights on and off and saying, "lutz!"  He did try to say it in French once, but it came out 'lumilere', so he's given up on that.
- has more words in English than French, but tends to go for the easier language - so 'lait' instead of 'milk' but 'more' instead of 'encore'.  Favourite word at the moment - 'beurre'.  Favourite food - also 'beurre'.
- lots of laughing too, cheeky cheeky monkey!
- VERY INTERESTED in trucks.  And motorbikes.
- maintaining little OCD characteristics - if he gives a coco bong to mama, he MUST give one to papa too, and vice versa.  He is VERY FAIR.
- 'Counts' - "un... oo... buh... TWO ... bee... wuh...EIGHT... mer... SIX..."
- Not entirely sure about the Nina, but is looking suspicious and playing up a bit.

La Nina:
- holy crap, she moves ALL THE TIME
- is head down but slightly the wrong way round, but getting there
- thought she was coming Tuesday, but she changed her mind

Luca porte le porte-bebe.

Avec aunty Jenny et un babycino a Demetri - un beau matin!

Luca learns from 70s Quebecois children's television.

Luca et papa jouent un duet.

Luca et papa font dodo.

Luca et papa achetent le jus.

Luca et papa!

Luca a fait un beau chapeau au garderie pour Paques.

On est presque arrive

Maybe one of our last evenings as a family of three (third member all squishy in bed at time of photo).  La Nina has dropped a little and everything seems like it's ready to go.  I feel like she will be an April baby rather than a May one, although I was wrong about Luca's arrival, so I could be wrong about this one.  But I'd be surprised if she weren't with us by this time next week.  Labour feels somewhat imminent.

A bit behind on the preparations - still haven't packed the bag for hospital, washed La Nina's clothes, chosen a (real) name, or got somewhere for her to sleep, but finally washed all the porte-bebes and bunny rugs - this is an Easycare #1 just for her.  Hopefully she will come home wrapped up in a kangaroo carry in this one.  Luca has never been in it, but I washed the Ocah for him because hopefully I'll be able to carry him again soon too. 

And tomorrow our lease at Lennox Street finally officially ends, so here are all our keys to go back to the agent.  Truly the end of an era!!