The Story of NooNoo/Nootchie cont'd . . .

One Two, Button Your Shoe. . .Tales of Nootchie Year Number Two! (Golden Globe Winner of Toddler Skype Sessions)

How is this possible???

Is she really that “grown up” already??

It’s less than two months away from her second birthday, winter wet and cold in New York, and I’m mesmerized by the latest video from California. The Nootch is sitting on the floor with a small guitar across her lap; rather skillfully I think at least for a 22 month old, placidly  plucking away at the strings with some concentration, up and down across the length of the instrument her small fingers play, and she is singing along in perfect time. The lyrics to the song are familiar- dubbla yoo ex, why ‘n zee. . .  now I noo m’ ay-bee-seez, wone you say ‘em pliz wi’ mee. . . . And it is she, Navah, not yet two years old, who is humming this intricate ditty! 

I have not seen the Nootch for over a month now since she left, and  watching this little miracle video on my email I am quite blown away. She talks! In verse! And vocalizes along with the tune!  The last I knew she was articulating simple words like “up!” when she needed to be on high, or “Oh Noooo!” when feigning catastrophe, or giddily being "discovered" hiding behind the kitchen door. How is this now possible? A virtuoso letter sounding out performance?? It seems only yesterday she mastered that funny little crawl with the one leg tucked underneath as a means of deftly transporting herself around the living room floor. And now she is not only walking, but running, jumping and attempting to stand on her head (using the soft pillows of the sofa of course for this gymnastic feat, but still it counts!).

She may not be saying complex sentences yet, but the lyricism of the classic nursery rhyme delineating the parts of the alphabet clearly has caught her fine ear. Is she a musical genius, or what? Or, may these heaps of praises merely be the mad musings of a doting grandma gone completely and utterly insane with the wonder of such a miraculous, small personage- no longer an infant but a fascinating little force, with all sorts of new knowledge and “abilities.” I have an acute attack of cuteness exposure on the spot that proves near fatal but quickly recover so that I may watch the video again.

We skype once more not long after and she is sooooo excited about showing me her newest accomplishment. Suddenly the potty appears courtesy of mom’s ever guiding, watchful and invisible hand, and she cheerfully plops down on it, does a “sissy” and laughs gaily. Mommy then lovingly gives her the miniature “commode” to empty into that big potty in the sky, the bathroom toilet.  For one excruciating moment the little bowl tilts a tad perilously in the Nootch’s hand as we wait with bated breath, but in the end it’s all safely balanced by a flick of that tiny, skillful wrist and off she goes to dispose of it. She is so proud!

At one point while we are chatting and attempting to hug each other via and through our respective monitors daddy calls, and the Nootch grabs the phone from mommy and demands to speak with him!!! In truth, she has a lot to tell him, but for the moment seems to be listening so that she may properly respond. 

I have lost my mind, it’s obvious. This brief interaction on the screen regarding the newest “accomplishment” followed by the safe transporting of the potty to its final disposal place actually was more compelling to watch than the burning of Atlanta in Gone with the Wind, and infinitely more brilliant- in truth, quite artistically, ground breakingly iconic if I may say- than Citizen Kane!

A week or so after this unbelievable success, we skype again, and she dives into a package of clothing I have sent in preparation for her second birthday. She plucks out a pair of colorful undies and proceeds to try them on, right over her leggings!  She then moves on to the new socks, dons two pair at one time- one over the other (clever!!!)- after which she begins to dance around the room like the happy and joyous little maniac that she is.

Oh, did I forget to mention she knows four colors?
Yallow, grin, redd and boo!!! Her favorite at the moment appears to be boo. Funny, I like boo too. Navy boo.

Was there ever, ever, in the entire history of humankind, such an adorable, brilliant, funny, engaging and fascinating little toddler of almost two years???

I think not.