Let there be light

Laurel has enjoyed listening to books since she was about six months old. When Isaac was a baby, I always pointed out things in the illustrations as I read to him. By the time he was 11 months old, he was responding to my pointing, and soon afterward he was pointing out things around him. I think all this pointing made language concrete for him, and perhaps helped him build his remarkable vocabulary.

Laurel, however, has always hated it when I point at the pictures. Whenever I try to do it, she grabs my hand and tosses it aside. If I point swiftly and remove my finger right away, I might be able to indicate, say, the big red barn, or the giraffe's neck, but absolutely no lingering is allowed.

A little over a month ago, right after she turned one, she began to demonstrate her understanding of certain verbs, being able to respond appropriately to "pat," "drum," and "dance." She began pointing to parts of our faces about three weeks ago. She started with noses, and by now she can also point out ears and eyes. She flaps her tongue in and out if we say "tongue," "teeth," or "mouth." She pats the side of her own head when she hears "head," "hair," or "hat."

But even better than the specific words is the change in her attitude -- now she seems really excited to be able to demonstrate her understanding of language, which was a vibe I never got from her before.

Perhaps this excitement is why, within the last week, she has become interested in pointing at pictures in books. She doesn't do it that often, just at a few select items, but I assume it is because she wants to know their names. It goes both ways: today when we were reading I asked her, "Where's the baby's foot?" and she pointed at it appropriately. Plus it seems like she might allow me to point at things in books, too! This should make reading even more fun.

Finally, just yesterday Laurel started pointing at things in the real world. She and I ate lunch alone because it was Isaac's long day at preschool, and as conversation with a pre-verbal baby can be a little slow, I decided to demonstrate the usefulness of pointing. I indicated myself, the dog, our lunch, and so forth, and her eyes followed my pointing finger.

Then I pointed out the lamp hanging over the dining table. "Light," I said.

Then I asked, "Where's the light?" And she pointed at it!