More Letters and Words

Amelia's recognition of letters is really taking off - she now also recognizes, B, E and a few others. She has started pointing at letter's on people's shirts or towards a sign and either says the letters she recognizes or looks at you expectantly so you can name them. In books she is often more interested in the letters and words than she is the pictures (or story for that matter).

Last night she said "Baby" for the first time and began applying it to the smaller of her two dinosaurs. So I said "Mama Dinosaur and Baby Dinosaur" as I pointed to the two of them and she followed suit - only "Mama" and "Baby" were understandable, though! She also said "Blanket" last night and in the past day or so has said "Balloon" instead of "Ball ball". It comes out more like "Bloom", though.

We went to Books-a-Zillion last night and when we got to the kiddie corner (or whatever they call it) I handed her a Thomas book which she began readly loudly to herself. It was pretty funny. Her little brow was furrowed and her mouth was making all these interesting shapes as she "enunciated" her words. She'd be sticking her lips all the way out at times - too cute.

On the way out I made an impulse buy of a momma duck and her three little baby ducks. Amelia's flashing quackers don't flash anymore, except for one, and all of these flashed. I was having a little buyer's remorse until this morning when I realized one of the reasons why I liked the set was the baby ducks fit on her back, just like in real life, so it's a good lesson. Right? And now that she can say baby duck and mama duck ... all the better!!

When she is eating with us she will often point to things that she wants and I usually give them to her (like the birthday card my sister sent me). When she points to my glass, though, I started a while ago saying, "No, that's mommy's juice." So lately she will point at things around the kitchen and she will identify what she can say including "Mama chair! Mama juice! Dada chair! Dada juice!" (And she finally started saying Dada again a couple of days ago which makes Daddy very happy!)

Here she is in her pajamas that our friend Mary gave her. She loves these - as soon as they are on she looks down and says, "Eaf!" for the leaf and then her "Ooh ohh ah ah!" monkey sound for the monkey.

She really, really likes her "eafs". Yesterday we went down the slide at Livia's a few times and she kept bringing one up the stairs and then throwing it down the slide first. The last time up the stairs she realized halfway up that she didn't have a leaf and she looked and me and asked, "Eaf?" It was more like she was communicating in a regular way than just proclaiming "Eaf!" and having me meet her need for one. Needless to say, I did get her one and up she went.

Here she is with some big leaves the neighbors gave her when she was over there Friday.


[pictures dated 7/14 & 7/13/07]