Zofia Irakau Edwards

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Well I have been a one year old now for nearly 5 months and there have been so many happenings since my birthday. I had a fantastic 1^st birthday party. Thank you to all for coming and sharing this special day with me. Shortly after I realized that I can get those darn cats by stepping it up and getting up off the ground. So on papa’s 30^th birthday I took my first real alone steps and since then I have never looked back. I am now a walker, nearly a runner and well on my way to parkour mastery. This has made whaea’s and korki’s house a lot smaller. Not much has been left untouched. The garden is still my favourite place to be. Presently I am trying to solve how to get the apples on the ground back onto the apple tree. And as a side project I am emptying the pots and containers of the dirt. The plants can stay for now.

I have successfully spread my magic buttons throughout the house. They are under couches, on bookshelves, in plastic containers, in the pantry, the shower, around corners, in nooks and crannies. They keep me up to the date on whats happening around the house if I dare to miss out.

In my eagerness to communicate at 14 months I learnt some signs to let mama know I need a drink, some food, a sleep and to everyones astonishment to ‘siusiu’ or to potty. Mama and papa are as proud as punch. I am becoming more independent by the day.

I love to smell flowers, feed the cats with korki, jump and stomp around the lounge room, shop in the pantry, press ‘start’ and ‘pause’ on the washing machine, read pictures in books, say “choo choo”, stack, build, move and tip everything. I am mastering this idea of water - Water at the pool, at the beach, in the shower, in my bucket and in my cup. I enjoy playing the harmonica, dancing and singing. Filling up any bag, box or container and dragging it around the house is a special hobby. Uoooh and how can I forget I loooove clothes, shoes and accessories! Carrying them around, maybe trying them on, then getting mama to try them on and seeing nanna for some bling bling.

Next to toes, the belly button is of great fascination. Everyone has one! I double check. I showed Tie my belly button but it doesn’t look like he has one. Do cats have belly buttons? The cats are my best friends and sometimes my worst enemies. I play with them everyday and rarely get scratched.. only when I forget to be gentle. But they let me lie on their bellies, poke around in their food and drop mulch and bark on their food. I still enjoy kicking them out of the house and occasionally kicking them.

It has also been molar time. Three through and one on the way! Nearly there …

I have been trying to say the following words …

Shoes, Toes, Toast, Boat, Bird, Bear, Bye Bye, Gone, Fish, Cat, Car, Korki, Babcia, Button, Chicken, Siusiu, Hot and Cold.

There are a few cuddly bears that has taken my interest. One night I slept for 6 hours without needing mama or papa to come help me get to sleep. The bears kept me company. All my bears are special. The 6 hours was a one off although I am getting better all the time

It has been awhile since our last update. The last 4 months have seen us travel the world, reunite with family and come home. Home sweet home, where Zofia belongs. The moments, events and achievements we wouldn’t want to forget are …

First Polish Words
Mama, Baba (grandma although uses this randomly for animate and inanimate objects), Dziadzia (grand dad), ‘pa pa’ (bye bye), lala (doll).

Dancing and Singing
I can clap along to ‘kosi kosi lapki’. ‘Tany tany!’ (dance dance) will incite me to nod or head bang along to the music. The Wiggles are mesmerising. Babcia is my number one dancing partner, we waltz and we twist.

Understanding Words and Actions
Can show you how big I am when asked ‘Jaka duza Zosia?’ (How big is Zosia). Korki (home granddad) and I like to have nightly squabbles over all the good things in life. Cuddles and kisses abound for all things you just need to ask for a kiss or say ‘daj buzi’ (give me a kiss). I can show you my duck, book, ‘Makka Pakka’ and ‘Iggle Piggle’. I can make it sound like I am saying ‘Hello’ and ‘Thank you’ at the appropriate times. I can demand you pass me anything I need. ‘Bup’ means cat. ‘No’ means ‘No’. I can shake my head ‘No’ too. If you say piesek hal hal (doggy woof woof) I will look out for a dog.

The Best Foods
Poland introduced me to forest berries. Blueberries and raspberries were a daily favourite. Parowki (polish sausages), crispy corn tubes, rice, boiled chicken, potatoes were up there as well. A picky eater but when I eats I really eats! Broccoli, mango, pasta, sausages, eggs, toast and peas. And then there are grapes and watermelon ooh so juicy and yummy. The Apple Cider Vinegar and water drink is just delicious. Oh and the occasional French Fry is muchly appreciated. So many delicious feasts. Except for milk .. boooo milk! And all milk derivatives. They give me itchy skin and sleepless nights. A new nightly treat is chamomile and honey tea.

Adventures and Play
Chariot rides with Korki down the street, around the house and to play ‘Jack in the Box’ in. This ride is just asking to be pimped. Love to chase and be chased by Whaea (home grandma). Love to hide and pop behind doors. Putting on shoes, necklaces, bangles and all bling bling (especially whaea’s), opening and closing boxes, putting objects in boxes, swinging doors, flicking through books, collecting miniature objects to hold with one hand, hiding little treasures, chasing the cats Bow, Tie, and Betty, whacking the cats, foraging in the garden, pulling out plants and smelling roses are my current pastimes.
Betty was asleep on the couch and mama caught me doing what she calls, banging Betty’s head with a plastic spoon while holding on to her tail to help me stand in position! I think mama misunderstood the situation, I was gently patting with Betty’s favourite spoon.
I’m back into swimming. Kicking and splashing and jumping into the pool without fear. I’m definitely in the right country for it.

Physical Milestones
I am an avid crawler but a cautious walker. Being walked is the safest. I have 7 chompers. I am very tall.

Favourite Things
My red shoes. My lala. Eyelashes. ‘Makka Pakka’.

Idiosyncrasies
When I have had enough of something it needs to be out of sight.. out of sight out of mind. . I have been listening to korkis feng shui so my space needs to be clear. Knowing I’m in trouble when Papa has to get up… so I always check to make sure the coast is clear

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Straws are fantastic.

When strolling around I give the world a huge toes up as opposed to a thumbs up.

I can wave hello and goodbye. Can’t be told to do so though.

My favourite foods are eggs and mango and yoghurt smoothie.

I’m into boxes and containers of all shapes and sizes. Could be hereditary.

There is important business to be done in the wardrobe.

Curls are appearing on my head. Hopefully I won’t be called a ‘Ladies Boy’ anymore.

I like to visit with Oscar the Grouch at the rubbish bin. Not for long though.

‘Old MacDonald’ and ‘Kosi Kosi Lapki’ make me happy.

I have 2 teeth.

I love short naps.

I love short sentences.

Tummy bubbles and crazy horse make me giggle.

I’m crawling like a champion.

I understand that the bathroom is off limits.

Pulling myself up like a pro. Have made note to self that the chair and pram are dangerous apparatus.

Have little tantrums when things don’t go my way.

I make sure I wake mama up at least twice a night to make sure she knows I haven’t gone anywhere.

I am in Thailand. If you like to hear about my escapades there please check out Zofia’s Thai Times.

This month has seen Zofia develop into an active and outgoing little individual. She’s a social little butterfly charming the pants off all the Thai hosts and hostesses on our newly commenced travels. In just the last month there has been the following list of firsts for our young lady …

• First tooth
• First solids
• First crawl
• First pull up on furniture
• First flight
• First time in New Zealand
• First dip in a thermal pool
• First time meeting Great Nana Betty
• First time meeting her NZ Cuzzies
• First taste of dirt
• First Babble of “da da”
• First time in Thailand

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Zofia’s placenta has been given back to Mother Earth. A Magnolia tree, surrounded with Babcia’s succulents, was planted on top of it in Whaea’s garden. Zosi got her first mouthful of dirt.. success!

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Looking back on the last 6 months the three of us have truly been transformed. We have woken up to a magical world of bedtime giggles, cheeky winks, sneaky smiles, naptime tears and purposeful frustrations. Embracing it whole, enjoying it all. Watching Zosia being and growing has made us see that children are not, in the words of Maria Montessori, vessels to be filled but intelligent little souls whose spirit needs to be fostered.

As all mamas out there I really want to understand my precious little baby for my own growth as much as for hers. It seems that children are born holding a precious gift for us all. Seeing the bright shiny red ribbon, Zosia holding it out for me to take and her knowing gaze, I’ve grabbed one end of the ribbon and am about to pull on it .. ooooh I wonder what’s inside.

Multa debetur puero reverentia.

Today Zosia is 6 months old. She’s had a good day today .. she went to the supermarket and picked out some new nappies for her upcoming trip, slept in her now forward facing car seat, got a new wizard stick (so now she can do double the tricks in half the time) and had a relatively itchyless head. Although not quite sitting she’s becoming one agile little caterpillar. Her stomping ground is expanding and calculators, remote controls and random cords are all fair game!

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