Little EC last week that it was time to expand her repertoire of prepositions. Up until then, she had been referring to everything preposition-like as “off”…maybe that’s a fun word for babies. But “off” is a little limiting, so last week she startled me by first doing “off” and “on” for a headband that she was trying to wear (or not to wear…I can never tell if she likes those things…). Like with most things she does, she practiced again and again: “off, on, off, on”. Then suddenly, as if to demonstrate that she grasped the new word, she started to refer to lights as “off” and “on”…they had previously always just been “off”. Then it was “in” and “out”…Pooh is in the house, Pooh is out of the house, the sticks are in the cup, the sticks are out of the cup. She’d been doing “up” and “down” sporadically for awhile, but not reliably. That changed last week. And one day, out of the blue, she was playing with a piece of scrambled egg, folding it and unfolding it, and chanting: “open”, “close”, “open”, “close”.
At breakfast at the beginning of this week, she decided that she didn’t want food on plates anymore. She wanted her food “in the bowl”. It was her first article. It’s still her only article. If Pooh goes in the house, it’s “Pooh house”. If milk goes in the cup, it’s “milk cup”. But when food goes in the bowl, it’s “in the bowl”.
Another fun word she’s learned: “sit”. Or as she says it: “deets!” She’ll go to her play area, and shout “Mama, deets!” When she wants to play, you’re not allowed to say no.
She’s been running a low fever (around 100) for a few days, and has been tired but not sleeping well. A little rash has appeared around her mouth. She’s been sucking on her fingers. All the signs are there…and so are the teeth. I’ve seen two molars and two canines so far, and there may well be more. She doesn’t like to let me look in her mouth. (Note: she doesn’t like anyone looking in her mouth. The pediatrician tried back in January and she forced a vomit to prevent it.)
Conversations with her are fun now. They go something like this:
Her: fussy.
Me: “Do you want a nap?”
Her: “Nap! Yes.”
Me: “Let’s go”
Her: Heads for the crib.
or…
Her: fussy.
Me: “Are you hungry?”
Her: “Eat”
Me: “What would you like?”
Her: “Cheese!”
Me: “Would you like some olives too?”
Her: “Yes”
Me: “How about some chicken?”
Her: “Bock, bock, bock”