20.5 Months- “Bye Baby!”

As you’ll see below and on Flickr, Cruv’s face has narrowed, his legs have thinned, his feet have formed, and his hair has grown wispy and long.  Dressed in pants, sneakers, and a shirt, he looks, sounds, and moves like a boy.  Though we mentioned this development in the previous post, we obsess over it in this one.

Travel Update

August began with visitors.  When Yaron flew to Ojai for a few days, Cruv’s Savta (with Terri) saved the day (and morning and night) with tons of activities, and, of course, Cruv was pooped.

A few days later, Cruv toured Ari and Tamar around the farmer’s market and other favorite neighborhood spots.

A week later, his Uncle Noam visited for a three-day SF extravaganza of words (mostly Cruv’s), sights, (Academy of Sciences, de Young, Bolerium Books, among many), steam (Kabuki bathes), tastes (saury pike above the rest), and bonds (Cruv and Noam).  Then, to celebrate his Abu’s birthday, Noam, Yaron, and Cruv jetted to Park City, followed by his Abu, Imama, Uncles Aaron and Noam, Aunts Talia, Julie, and Liore (Doda Li), Cousin Oren, and Ima (whom he all calls by name).

The weekend was filled with hikes, runs, rides, big laughs, Earlwoode Farm’s produce, and good fortune.

Two weeks later, for Labor Day weekend, Yaron and Cruv took redeyed “Airplane New York” for a carefree weekend at his “Abu and Imama,” their red “bridge,” and “gong” that makes a big “noise.”  Cruv picked “peppers adom” and splashed with “naked Oren” and mostly “naked Abu.”  It was a party.

His first morning back in San Francisco, he asked, “Where’s naked Abu?” and then had an idea for the day, “Airplane New York!”

Two days later, Doda Li followed us west.  With Cruv, she biked to Academy of Sciences, Flora Grub Gardens, and Tartine.  Because it was too far, we all (including Gretchen, Doda Li’s friend and our day’s photographer) drove to Marin for the farmer’s market and hike in the rain, canopied by endless redwoods.

Future Travels: Tomorrow, Phoenix; ten days, New York.

I Scream, You Scream, Cruv Cries for Ice Cream

How High?

Though he chooses his moments carefully, Cruv knows when he’s in control.  Upon our return from Park City (see below), Cruv mimicked Talia and Oren’s lie-flat game.  It went like this:  We are in Cruv’s room and he calls-out “Lie flat!” and we run to the dining room and dive on the floor.  Then, “Jump!” and we get-up and jump.  Quickly, though, Cruv called-out, but neither lied flat nor jumped.  He went from player to drill-sargeant.  Though he does not impose his will often, when he does he does so sternly–”Ima up!”  “Abba out!”  “Cruv table!”  “Open it!”  Now, though, a “What do we say” may be followed by “Open it, please.”

Down and Out (Into the World)

On August 26, Cruv and Yaron were on their way to Parque Ninos Unidos when Cruv stopped, assessed a stairway of six, deemed it right, and ascended–foot to foot, not foot to knee to foot.  At the top, he descended backward.  He ascended again, and then descended, with a hand on the railing, forward.  After four deliberate repetitions, he descended handsfree.  Yaron was there to spot him (and bask in him), but this was Cruv’s.  Two days later, a tough day on the calendar, Yaron and Cruv  headed-out to the park.  As always, Yaron locked the apartment door and asked for Cruv to wait at the top of the stairs.  When Yaron went to pick-up Cruv, Cruv said, “Downstairs,” placed a firm palm on the wall, and walked down every single stair.  With each step descended, Yaron’s pride (Once an immobile, inarticulate newborn, and now this!)  and sadness grew.  Cruv cannot really make it on his own, but he willed himself out of our home and down and out into the world.  (Could he make it with his friends, like Rio and Alma, by his side?)

Unprepared to accept his letter of resignation, Yaron grabbed Cruv and called-out, “You did it,” held him tight, and cried.  Tender, as always, the following day Cruv conked in his bike seat.  At the courtyard, Yaron lifted him out and Cruv slept, like a baby, cradled in his Abba’s arms.

On Language as Such, on the Language of Cruv, Part II (Will there be Part III?)

Though we know there is more to come, Cruv’s lived exegesis of Walter Benjamin’s essay came full-circle.  Our downstairs neighbors, Betsy and her son, Desi, handed-down a little, furry lion.  For three days, Cruv called the lion by “Lion” and held him tight.  The fourth morning, as he drank his bottle, Cruv held Lion.  When he finished, Cruv narrowed his eyes, titled his head, gazed at Lion, paused, pointed, and proclaimed matter-of-factly, “Nicky.”  As Benjamin writes, “Man therefore communicates his own mental being (insofar as it is communicable) by naming all other things.”  Cruv understood lion was a word and not a name and, therefore,  this lion could be named, and, even more magically, that he (as Benjamin recalls, like Adam in the Garden of Eden) could name this lion.

Dirty Streets, Secret Gardens

We love our neighborhood because of its great parks, friendly people, charming homes, and sunny days.  But our streets have more trash than we’d prefer, some of our neighbor more booze than we’d prefer.  Last summer, as new immigrants, we saw, behind a tall, white picket fence, two avocado trees filled with fruit.  The only entrance to this huge and verdant secret garden was an unmarked gate–no name, no hours open, no phone number to call.  Despite many passings, the gate remained closed.  Then, one day, Kimberly (Cruv’s nanny) texts this picture:

The gate was opened to us.  Now, every Wednesday, Yaron and Cruv visit Gene’s secret garden.

With his shovel and rake, Cruv  picks ground husk cherries, sungold tomatoes, bartlett pears, almonds, raspberries, and avocados.  He planted mustard seeds, observes bees in-flight (and, on hot days, at rest in the birdbath).  Most of all, he wanders the many paths, some lined with towering bamboo trees, of this secret garden in this wondrous neighborhood.

Attentiveness

On day 30 of Cruv’s life, a woman took notice of Cruv’s careful gaze and commented, “I’ve never seen such an attentive baby.”  Though we used this adjective in the posts for Weeks 5-6, Week 7, and 10.5 Months, his attentiveness takes on a new character with speech. As we noted in the last post, as he can tell us everything he sees and hears–tiny specks in the sky (Airplane!), distant whirrs (“Street cleaner!”), passing signs (“monkey!” “Stars!”), artists (“[Ma]tisse!”), last words on every page (“teeth,” “ways,” “days,” etc)–we are newly attentive to the world and to Cruv’s attentiveness.  A few weeks ago, he saw the Muni bus log on a piece of paper and said, “Bus!”  This morning, after a diaper change, he began to run, but stopped and noted that Yaron did not rebutton his pajamas–”No buttons!”–and patiently stood until he finished the job.  This evening, as Cruv had his pre-bed bottle (see below), he stopped ran into the den and said something like, “chunsat.”  It took Yaron a few listens, to hear the obvious–”sunset!”  Now, as he takes hold of adjectives, we know he gets the major and minor details, too, from the feel of succulents (“Plant sharp”) to Yaron’s feet (“Abba feet gross”).

“Where’s Ima?  Imma work?”

Probably.  But, as of tomorrow, Miriam says goodbye to thirty-hour calls and working weekends, at least for a while.

The hours took a toll on all of us, but only recently did Cruv show (at least to us)  signs of wear.  When Miriam buzzes the doorbell, Cruv shakes with excitement, “Ima!  Ima!”  As of a few weeks ago, he would run-run-run to the door, wait for Yaron to open it, screech at the top of the stairs, and leap into Miriam’s arms.  Now, sometimes, when Miriam summits, he turns-away and, more recently, after he calls “Ima!   Ima!”,  he will climb into Yaron’s arms and only slowly lets go.  For all of Cruv’s clarity in speech, it is hard–scratch that, impossible–to determine what this change articulates–”sharp” and “gross” are simpler to identify than love and longing, excitement and hurt, attachment and detachment.

I’m Talking ’bout the Babe

Talker, namer, walker, stair descender, one-time toilet trainer.

Nonetheless and despite our American Pediatrics book’s stern recommendation, Cruv still prefers the bottle.  We are no rush to break our boy’s baby habit.

Cruv, the words of

A full-post to come soon.  For now, a (mostly comprehensive) lexicon of the language of Cruv:

Fig, pea, corn, eggplant, date, grapes, pepper, tomato (moes!), strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, squash, leek, kiwi, bean, edamame (mame!), orange, apple, pear, basil, peach, melon, watermelon, plum, peanuts, raisins, ice cream, milk, broccoli, fish, lemon, mushroom, carrot, tortilla, bread, pasta, sushi, donuts, cheese, pickle, cucumber, [tortilla] chips, yogurt, oats, potato, eggs, avocado, cherries, apricot, asparagus, onion, olives, rice, crackers, truck, car, bike, motorcycle, skateboard, airplane, helicopter, digger, car-truck, (SUVs), bus, fire truck, ambulance, train, trolly, up, down, in, out, backward, outside, spicy, hot, cold, noise, open, closed, push, careful, cracked, tight, foggy, jump, lie flat, stuck, walk, fall, dropped, no, yes, more, empty, move, draining, tripped, careful, books, bath, toys, spoon, fork, knife (no-knife for his Abba’s knives), highchair, table, plate, shoes, socks, pants, shirt, jacket, glasses, hat, toilet, bottle, squeeze [bottles], water bottle, light, towel, blanket, crib, bike, helmet, keys, door, cards, puzzle, banjo, chair, park, people(s), tree, belly, nose, ear, eyes, palm, knee, feet, hand, mouth, tongue, teeth, chin, penis, tushy, arms, toes, fingers, thumb, hair, head, burp, fart, poop, pee, phone, flower, sun, heart, sky, clouds, moon, star, grass, ocean, rock, stairs, home, house, colors, soap, rainbow, letters, backpack, blocks, pieces, hi, bye, sneeze, cough, wall, baby, bridge, sling, garbage, compost, chalk, fox, giraffe, dog, cat, owl, snake, monkey, elephant, zebra, bird, pigeon, horse, mouse, tiger, pig, rhino, koala, cow, shark, moose, panda, bear, octopus (opotus!), spider, lion, duck, cricket, locust, frog, penguin, bunny, rabbit, turtle, frog, crocodile, wolf, bee, camel, puppy, duck, iguana, jaguar, eagle, swan, jellyfish, rhino, hippo, peacock, pelican.