Body Parts & Baby Talk

These are just a few of the things my brilliant daughter knows. I must point out that when she said "Mama" she also did the sign language with it. She knows Dada, Mama, please, more, and food/eat in sign language, but she wasn't being totally cooperative at that moment. She also holds her nose for "stinky" and holds her hands out and shrugs for "gone" but those are unofficial signs! And she can say so many words now, I might have trouble counting but I'm going to try... what kind of mom would I be if I didn't? :)

Mama, Dada, bye bye, hello (phone context), hi, Nana, Papa, Mmm (for food), ball, baby, gone, shoes. Those are the words I know she knows well and I've heard lots of times. There are also some that I think she's close to, but it's hard to be sure. For example, B words are tough because there are so many that sound similar and I can't tell if she's saying it or if she's just saying the B sound because she knows it starts like that... bath, banana and book are that way.

She also understands so many words now, it's scary. The language hasn't caught up for her to repeat it all yet, but she comprehends so much that I already catch myself spelling and she's only 14 months old! Perfect example... The other day I told someone "I'll be right back" and she started fussing as if I'd just told her "bye bye" to her face.

Every day is an adventure, and it's fun to be able to communicate now. There is so much less frustration for both of us because she can tell me what she needs. It's also adding a new dimension to parenting because I can tell her what I expect (or don't expect!) of her now. She better understands right vs. wrong. Perfect example... our entire living area is baby proofed enough that just about everything she shouldn't have is always out of reach. Well just today I accidentally left a pop can on the end table unattended for a second. Usually she would get to it right away and it would be spilled in seconds. This time, when I finally notice her, she's standing by the table, inches from the can, staring at it and shaking her head, but not touching. It was hilarious. I can only hope for such luck next time.

Well that's my little language update. I'll have to do some more updates soon, there are so many things she's doing now. And when she's truly walking (more than a couple steps), you'll be the first to know!