Diana's Nine Month

Dear family and friends!

Little Diana has celebrated her first New Year! Of course, she didn’t fully understand what it all was about, but in general she could not take it wrong: it is all about to have a great fun! For the first time since Dennis’ death we didn’t fear to celebrate NY at home and decorated our house in a baby-friendly way.

Diana was very glad for all the new shining things and never missed a chance to catch them when it was possible.

Of course, she was a bit afraid of the numerous NY fireworks.

On the NY eve she went to bed ca 1 o’clock when all fireworks were stopped by heavy rain. She liked a lot when we clinked glasses, she liked the sound of crystals.

In general she brings us lots of joy, she keeps us busy all the time and makes us (feel) young. From the situation when both our sons were grown up and started to doubt that the parents always know best, to the situation when we have indisputable authority.

By the 9 months she has improved her ability to crawl and to walk with a support. She likes to dance when she hears pop-music. She curtseys in time, tiptoes, lifts one arm and rolls her palm. Very funny: we laugh like crazy!

She has started to say some words. Before she said some, but it was without meaning. Her firsts conscious word was neither mum nor dad, but ‘kisa’ =kitty. She is so fond of our cat! She calls for our cat ‘Ksh-ksh-ksh’ instead of ‘ks-ks-ks’. She also understands her own name and she clearly reacts on the questions: ‘Where is Nikita?’ And ‘Where is kitty?’

She doesn’t play with her own big park of toy but enjoys a lot to play with electrical cables, PC mouse or big floor-plants. Probably understands when we prohibit with the words ‘nelzya’=no and ‘Aj-ya-yaj’, but she considers this as voluntary, just smiles back and continues to do what she was doing. But we keep trying to make her understand.

We have been to the church and her proud grandma took her to receive the eucharist. Diana didn’t cry and took it all very calm.

Alexander’s mum left for Russia on 19 Dec after spending almost 3 months with us. She and Diana got along very well and enjoyed each others company. We think that the grandmother got 10 years younger after this time with little Diana – it is so extremely important for old people to be needed. Grandma promised to come again in May and said that her grandchild is more important than the harvest in the summerhouse.

On 30 Dec my mum arrived from Russia for another 3 months, and when me and Alexander go to work, Diana will be at home with her grandmother. For the first days together Diana has learnt a couple new words like ‘daj, otdaj, na’=give me, take.

Diana is a very curious little girl and she watches carefully how we pronounce a word and tries to do similar but not always masters her own tongue yet.

She is very interested in jewelry and if someone holds her she immediately starts to examine if the person has necklace, earrings, rings etc.

We read books for her – they are mostly about different animals – pets as well as farm and wild animals. But so far she recognises only few of them.

You all probably heard the story about a 3 y.o. English boy, who bought a car via Internet by clicking on a PC. Our 9 m.o. baby was equally smart – she has opened her first excel document and pasted into it a text from a clipboard. We still can not understand how.