Reflections on Liliana at 20 months

In the life of each of our children, I have lamented the moment when vocalization becomes words, and we lose the abstract and beautiful intonations of meaninglessness. I rue the moment mostly because I haven’t recorded the sounds for posterity and post production. They are absolutely musical (Don’t you love the background of Stevie Wonder’s Isn’t She Beautiful?) and I wish I could go back and listen again to the coos and garbles. I will miss this: In the last several months Liliana’s habit has been to call me - “Papi…” – and after capturing my attention and focus – she would intently tell me something equally serious and incomprehensible. She meant it all. It was so important. Her eyes would meet mine and reinforce the seriousness. Her head would nod reinforcing the statement. And all was simply hers to know. Now Liliana is starting to make sense. We go across the bridge and its “waaer” we get ready to go out and she brings her “shoos”. After helping Marialice in the garden she said “bye matoes.” And so now – the requests become mine to figure out. The seriousness becomes mine to uncover. The challenge of communication becomes really understanding. I have emerged from the safety of her inability and now must recon with the requirement of her words. Not that I mind at all – but it is another phase in connecting with my youngest child. My friend Jeff Clark wrote me today asking about my nephew, born last month to the Guerrico – Hatch cross cultural connection. He asked “Is Nico bilingual yet?” I laughed because in a sense he is. His coos and cries communicate equally well in English and Spanish in ways that his words will never do.