communication

I know this is mostly a mom-blog now, but I don't really care. Babies are far more fascinating than most jobs, politics, tv shows, craft projects (ha ha--like I do craft projects), etc. forever. We did make the most delicious butternut squash soup last night, though, so we are appropriately fall festive in case you were wondering. Oh man, it was good. Stole the recipe from this woman at church.

But the topic for today is communicating with babies. Ignorant me, I thought I would definitely know when little a said her first word. Did you see the episode of Modern Family where Lily keeps saying "mama" and her gay dads have a meltdown and then it turns out she is just repeating what a doll says? Yeah, and she just crawls around silent the rest of the time saying nothing.

That is not what happens.

Little a talks constantly, so it's hard to know when she is really saying a word. If she says "babababa" all the time, then she picks up a ball and says "ba," did she just say ball? If she says "mamamamamama" all the time and when I say "Do you want to come with mama?" she repeats "mama," did she really just say mama to mean me? And if she says it when she's tired and cranky but she doesn't actually look at me, does it mean she wants me or does it just mean "Hi, I am tired and cranky?" It's all about the context clues, I guess. She definitely says something close to "bye bye" (though really it's somewhere midway between "ba ba" and "bye bye") and she often waves her hand when she says it, but does she really get that she is saying "goodbye" or "I'll see you later?" I guess if I have to pick her first word it probably is "bye bye" and if I have to make the call I do think she really is saying "ball," but the jury is still out on both "mama" and "dada," both of which she says often enough and sometimes at appropriate moments, but it is unclear whether it is on purpose.

The cool thing, though, is no matter what she actually says I am getting better and better and telling what she means. Often she'll point or just look longingly at something and when I get it for her she gets a big grin on her face. Success! We have basic cave man communication. It's different than just reading her signs. It feels much closer to talking. Sometimes I can even get HER to do stuff, which is the truly amazing part. I can say "give that to mommy" the oft-loved "no, don't touch" or "get the bear" (pointing) and it actually happens. I think she is happier because of all this, because we sometimes get each other.

Feel free to share anything on babies and communication, if you want.