Words, words, words

A Meghan update

At 15 1/2 months, this g irl seems to learn a new word every day, sometimes more than one. Some of her first words are already morphing into more recognizable sounds. I want to write them down before I forget the initial cuteness.

Her first word: mama I had to get one out of six, right? every other baby said dada first :-)
Soon after mama, she said dada--now dah-dee, not to be confused with dah-dee, which means doggy--these are homophones, only discernable through context or the pointed finger
Dog: used to be dah, now is dah-dee
She said something for rabbit this morning, and star, as she pointed at, and we talked about, her Miffy cup at breakfast. But she hasn't repeated it, so I'm not sure if she really knows them yet.
bay-bee: usually shrieked at top volume and accompanied by a finger pointing at a child who is anywhere from 0 to 3--also for lifelike dolls
dah-for dolls that look fake--kokeshi, her little pink teething doll
duy-rhyming with and meaning "guy" for plastic figures that the boys play with, plastic bath toy people, and wooden Plan City figures, although sometimes she calls those dah (doll)
Bah-this is bath, which she turns to me and says hopefully after every meal, hoping that it is time for her daily after-dinner dunking
wahh-this is wall. She points to it. We're not sure why walls are significant to her, but she knows the word.
chay-for chair, any chair, but usually means she wants to sit in one or someone else is sitting in one
chee-cheese
shih-fish (for the pets in our aquarium, a stuffed toy, or a picture of a fish, but usually not for her fish dinner unless we say it first)
eee-ahh-for cat, but she still mostly refers to all furry animals as dah-dee (see above) until told otherwise by the nearest family member
(grrrr--a roaring noise)-it's not exactly a word, but it's what she always uses for lions and reverts to for bears after we remind her that bears are not dogs
oww-for out, which she uses to mean "Pick me up," "Open this please," "Get me out of my chair," "I would like to go outdoors and play on my slide now," "Take off your watch/ring/bracelet and let me play with it," etc. in the same way that Matthew used to say "ope it"
boohhh-book. She loves books. Especially the ones with bay-bees and dah-dees (any animal) in them.
beeeee??? often accompanied by her version of the ASL sign--hand on heart--for please, always said in a very beguiling tone
nak-snack just like her cousin CJ
ay-eggs
doe-toast
She signs "eat" when she wants to eat (if she isn't pulling on my skirt and insistently saying "nak...nak"), but if she sees a picture of animals eating or a baby in a high chair, she says "eee"
She signs "drink" too, or else says "bup," for cup, when she wants a drink
For nurse, she signs and says "dih" I have absolutely no idea why.

A side note: she loves yakisoba, plain yogurt, most fruits and vegetables, cheese, eggs, and the cream cheese I spread on her morning toast. She is not particularly fond of toast itself, although she will come back and eat it for morning snack shortly after having left it at breakfast.

She is no longer a fan of baby cereal. This is most likely because I bought 3 boxes of organic baby cereal while we were home and carried them home in the suitcase because it is impossible to find here. Anyone on base need some baby cereal?

Names: She has a name for most everyone in the family
pah-pah-Patrick (and sometimes for photos of Tommy--sorry Tommy, you'll just have to get home and spend a little time with her to get your own name)
day-dee (used to be day-day)-Katie
doe-doe-Joseph
bo-bo-Matthew (we guess this is because Joseph calls him Buddy)
dee-dee-Jesus (for any crucifix, cross, or Biblical-looking male, and the Infant of Prague statue on our home altar, but that might be because he has a cross on his crown :-))
may-may-Mary (for Mary and most female figures in statues and holy pictures)

When we were home visiting, she also said "na-na" for Grandma R and "papapa" for (who else?) Papapa G, but it's hard to keep those when she doesn't see the person all the time. We're trying to help her remember by showing her lots of photos. Don't worry Grandmom, one of these days, she'll come up with a special name for you, too, just like Matthew did when he called you "wah-bom" :-)

Her favorite toys at the moment are
-Katie's old Corolle baby doll, which she kisses on the head. Much nicer than what I did to my first baby doll--dragging poor old Judy doll around by the hair.
-stacking cups and wood stacking blocks and cylinders
-anything that she can chew on--poor kid is getting four more teeth! (bottom pre-molars and canines--the top pre-molars came in at the end of July/beginning of August while we were on vacation.)
-anything Matthew is playing with. She really tries his patience.
-her slide. How she loves to climb!

A memory: Tonight when I took her out of the bath, she struggled and protested loudly, as she usually does. She never wants to get out of the tub. I wrapped her in her fluffy, white, angel towel and she snuggled into me for a second. And there in that moment of warm, damp, curly, pink, baby-bath-scented peace was something that made all the day's toddler activity and angst fade away. That is the moment to ponder in my heart. The moment when I remember the gift.