Month: September 2007

While visiting Grandma Mindy, Pop and Chacha, Austen also went to the Queens Zoo .

Feeding the goats with Grandma Mindy.

Chacha fed the sheep, even though Austen wasn’t around.

A team effort is sometimes required.

Austen also fed the geese until this guy bit Austen’s finger. Austen didn’t like that and got upset afterwards. Mama suspects it was because of the surprise biting and not so much the physical pain aspect, especially since Austen quickly moved on to the chickens afterwards.

Watching the big bunny rabbits in their enclosure.

Here are some alligators that didn’t move. Chacha and Dada wondered if they were fake.

After the zoo, Austen took the oppurtunity to go on a nearby merry-go-round with Chacha and Grandma Mindy. It went pretty fast so Austen held on tight.

Today Mama told Dada that she couldn’t find an Olivia book in “board book” format and Dada didn’t understand what she meant. “What’s a board book?” he asked. Clearly Dada doesn’t do much toy & book purchasing for his toddler. Hopefully Austen appreciates all of Mama’s lonely efforts. 🙂

Austen loves the Animal Hospital that Cousin Emma and Cousin Erin gave her for her birthday. She checks the kitty’s temperature. Points to the stethoscope and says “Austen’s a doctor.” And she gives the little birdy medicine. Mama and Dada aren’t too sure about the cramped quarters for the animal cages, but Austen sure loves opening and closing cage doors with the color-coded keys.

During Austen’s birthday party, someone christened Austen’s Boon potty. Uncle Tod?

Austen went to the Central Park Zoo in NYC with Devan. She really enjoyed seeing the sea-lions and the polar bears.

Mama bought Austen a stuffed polar bear and shortly afterwards, Austen fell asleep cuddling with it in her stroller.

Since it was raining, Mama and Dada decided to leave but even though it wasn’t a lengthy excursion, everyone still had a good time. We’ll have to go again soon to explore our old neighborhood but with a keen eye for toddler activities.

At 2, Austen has discovered the middle ground. She’s no longer has two modes only: happy and crying. She has a calm middle setting where she observes and relaxes a bit. She’s very excitable and fun. Her laughter and smile warm your heart. She still gets whiny and cries sometimes, but this doesn’t happen more than a few times a day and she quickly gets over her crankiness with the help of snacks and naps.

Austen shows little interest in baby dolls but loves stuffed animals more and more everyday, almost on par with books.

She still loves to sing but prefers to lead rather than follow along. She often cuts Mama off when she starts to sing. This is a major bummer because singing was Mama’s secret weapon against the fussies. Austen’s most articulate speech is still in song, where she’s clear for line after line (only leaving out a few words). As of yet, she shows no interest in poems or wordy stories without flashy pictures or photos of animals or shapes or something she recognizes.

As for verbal skills, Austen communicates her wants, her complaints, the things she’s excited about, descriptions of the world around her. Austen speaks in complete thoughts. “In the car watching fishes” she tells Dada through the phone in response to his asking what she’s doing. “Here ya go!” when she’s sharing with other kids at My Gym or play dates. “Chocolate meeka? Yes! Okay!” she says when wanting chocolate milk, a favorite. Austen now uses the possessive pronouns “mine” and “my.” This usually happens when she doesn’t want to share, but it shows new comprehension of language and its structure. She used to call everything “Austen’s doggies” or “Austen’s bottle” & etc.

In the morning, she gets ready in the sink next to Mama, brushing her teeth and “washing” her hands (more like splashing some water).

Austen can build a tower of yellow blocks. Mama can remember wandering when she’d be able to do something so organized.

If feeling agreeable, she can help with clean up, but often she is too busy moving onto the next activity to do so.

Watches too much Wiggles … and Elmo … and a little Baby Einstein. Mama worries about her developing an excessive habit, but TV seems to calm her down when she gets too wound up, which helps with her moods.

Mama and Dada have a lot of disagreements about discipline. Mama thinks they need to be strict and Dada tries to follow Austen’s requests as much as humanly possible.

It’s easier to keep Austen near Mama at restaurants and stores. We still use the umbrella stroller and shopping cart seats, but if Mama is vigilant she can get Austen to walk at her side holding hands. Once in a while, Austen will go jelly legged and refuse to walk with Mama (because she’d rather explore on her own or doesn’t want to go into or leave a certain store) but overall she is manageable now. She didn’t used to be; there was much struggle and carrying and stroller use at one and a half.

Austen has learned the word ‘castle’ after her jumpy castle themed birthday party. Wow, what an exciting day. It lived up to its promise.
Austen is starting to recognize feelings. When Mama feels hurt by somethings she’s done (push her away), Austen notices Mama’s frown and gives her a hug. Amazing! When Mama tells Austen she’s done something wrong (throwing her food), Austen tries to make up for it with a smile and apologetic “Hi, Mama!”

Little friends and family joined Austen in celebrating her 2nd birthday with “A Few of [Her] Favorite Things” (Austen loves the Sound of Music soundtrack). Although Grandpa Earl didn’t make it, Uncles Mark and Tod and their families were in attendance, as well as Auntie Heather and Cousin Connie. Grandma Mimi, Grandpa and Chacha helped out with party preparations, and much of the Rana family came, including Princy and Ajit and their families. From Maryland, Becky West and her daughters Abby and Daisy came.

Most all of Austen’s local friends were able to make it, many coming with both their parents. Aaron, Timmy, Dean, Drew, Jack, Mia, Riley, Natalie, Nick, Sam, and Connor. (Gabbie, Katie, and Ryan could’t make it.)

The day started off great with the arrival of the jumpy castle and balloons. Mama and Grandma Mimi scrurried to get the food and decorations ready. When Cousin Morgan arrived, the jumping began. Austen jumps for hours on end (and even way into the night, until her beloved jumpy castle was returned). All the kids seemed to enjoy the castle — Mama, Dada and some of the other adults tried some jumpies too. The kids’ parents complimented the Indian food and the yellow, purple and green castle birthday cake. (Kandie, from next door, wanted to eat the spires. She, and Nicole and Amanda and Aavanna, our other neighbors, joined us for the festivities.)

More pics.

Here’s Mama in her ballet outfit when she was younger. Austen will probably go to some ballet class next year as well. She loves to run, jump, twirl, spin, dance, flip and cartwheel (or at least her own version of those actions).

In the morning, Austen went to her first day of Fall Art II with Miss Liz. If only she’d cooperate. When asked to so something, like stand for a shadow drawing, she whines and throws herself on the floor. The only way she has fun is if she’s left alone to decide when to participate. She’s “the decider!”

What a wild lunch at Jack Cooper’s Celebrity Deli (where we’re regulars). Except for older boy Drew, most all of the toddlers in attendance were restless, particularly Aaron, Dean, Austen and Katie. But the conversation was fun and lively, and Austen enjoyed exchanging pats and food with Dean and running around the tables with Aaron … that is, until she bumped her head into the corner of one of them. All the kids (including Mia, baby Nick, baby Theo, and Ryan) and moms (Susan, Jenn, Heidi, Lucinda, Becky, Leigh and Olga) noshed on the bite-sized cupcakes that Mama decorated with dinosaur sprinkles. What great friends we’ve made in New Jersey!

Austen went with Mama and Dada for a birthday dinner at one of their favorite spots: Penang on Old Post Road in Edison. As usual, Austen enjoyed the roti and chicken fried rice. She also ate some of Mama’s broccoli and some of Dada’s fried pork wonton.

After returning home, we watched some videos that Mama, Dada and Chacha (a.k.a. 2PWC) made several years ago. Austen recognized everyone and enjoyed the videos, including those artsy ones with Nietzsche and Scout.

Happy second birthday, babycakes!

Austen’s been sleeping on her big bed for a few weeks now, accompanied by her entourage of stuffed animals.

Here, Chacha was supposed to go wake Austen up but instead decided to join her in sleeping.