Gabbie at 21 Months

It amazes me how many words Gabbie busts out with lately. She's talking up a storm, although we still can't understand many of the things she's saying. She still narrates our mornings, but now she also talks from approximately the time we get home until she's ready for bed. The last thing she says on a typical evening is, "Lights!" while looking at me with an exasperated glare because, duh mom! Turn out the light so I can go to sleep!

She is also a little bashful at times, especially if she's asking for something and thinks she's going to be denied. We're trying to get her to express exactly what she wants so we can give it to her - something that I want to make sure she can do so she's never afraid to ask for what she wants as she grows up. For now, those wants center mostly around food. Last night we were sitting at the dinner table, and though she had refused to eat what I had made (a delicious pasta dish that I couldn't eat enough of), I could tell she was still hungry. We asked her what she wanted, but couldn't understand at first what she was saying. With a little concentration, she said, clear as day, "Cereal!"

"No problem," we answered and got her a bowl of cheerios with milk. She ate the whole fairly large bowl of cereal, handling her spoon like a pro. ("She can use a spoon better than I can!" notes Aaron.) She still seemed hungry, so we asked her again what she wanted. Since we had just cut into a fresh loaf of hot bread, that one came out quickly. "Bread! Butter!" We obliged, and even after that her appetite remained strong. I pulled out a dish of her favorite food - blueberries, and she scarfed them down in no time flat. Then she started mumbling.

Even though we swore we'd never say this, we've had to start using the phrase, "Use your words" quite frequently lately. So, she mumbled on and we kept asking her to speak up. Speak loud. Tell us exactly what you want. It's okay to tell us what you want. Finally, the concentration evident on her face, she said as clear as day, "More blueberries please!"

Unfortunately she had eaten the last of the blueberries, so the answer was no, but after such cuteness we asked if a bowl of ice cream would be okay, and she busted out with another of those withering, duh mom looks and said, with a sigh, "YES! Ice cream!"

She started talking a lot later than any of my friends' kids, but now it's our turn to sigh - with relief. She's using new words on a nearly daily basis, and has even started using two to three word sentences. My baby is definitely growing up, and she's growing up into a little Miss Smartypants. I couldn't be more proud.