Stories of an Almost-One-Year-Old in New Orleans

Here's Anjali in the beginning of her obsession with chairs and benches, and ~ well, anything up high that she can stand on. While we were eating at this restaurant, Papi and I were taking shifts outside with Anjali because she was not interested in eating or staying at the table. She really was very tired but sleep would not come. Every time we took her outside to take a break from the stimulation and noise of the restaurant, she would immediately point and hoot, asking to be placed on any of a series of benches. And she wanted to move from one to the next to test each of them for standing. I think this one was her favorite.

This woman, the massage therapist at a nail salon, epitomized Southern hospitality as she entertained Anjali the whole time we sat at her nail salon as Tita Arlene got a manicure and pedicure for her wedding.

Anjali was fascinated with this gold lucky cat who waved its hand.

Right before we headed for New Orleans, Anjali started waving her hand. The motion is something akin to what people call the "Queen's Wave" ~ a very deliberate kind of a cupping of the hand and scoop-flapping. When I wave, she studies it and tries to imitate, and she practices in the mirror (along with BIG facial expressions. hee hee!). Lots of times, after she waves for a while, she claps (another recently-learned movement), seeming to say, "these are the things I can do with my hands." She delights in this. While in New Orleans, she sometimes waved as she would say "hi" to all the people she wanted to socialize with. No doubt, her "hi" is her first attempt at a word. Right now, she puts a "j" or "ch" noise on the end of it ~ "hije" or "hah-tch,"(well, when I started writing this post that was the case. Now, 10/20, she has been saying "hi" for a few days). The new noise of the week was an enthusiastic and lilting "aow!" Sometimes "waow!" or "aow, waow!" that sounded very much like "oh, wow!" in a highly amusing way.

Maybe with all the people around, her development was sparked; something seems to have clicked with her while we were in New Orleans. For instance, she took Papi's sunglasses off the bed, and put them on her own face. Then later in the day she picked up the long earrings I had been wearing and held them to her ears. All these understandings we take for granted as adults are learned step-by-step-by-step. The process is fascinating to witness!