"Mmm"

This weekend Craig was pushing Laurel around our backyard on her new tricycle while I was gardening in another part of the yard. When I came over to them, I expected her to be happy to see me, but I was surprised by the intensity of her response.

She looked up at me, smiled broadly, and pointed upward. Then she said, "Mmm!"

I was so excited! You may recall my mentioning that she does not say "Mama." According to Craig she used to say it when I wasn't around, but it's not a word I'm used to hearing from her.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "It's me, Mama!" Then I noticed she was still pointing upward, right past my shoulder. I turned around and looked up into the sky.

She was pointing at the moon.

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Okay, so the good news is that Laurel says "moon."

The bad news is that by now, a few days later, she also says "Mama." Unfortunately she does not say it tenderly or fondly -- she says it insistently and only when she wants me to give her something.

"Mmma! Mmma!" means "Hand me that cup! I want that banana! Let me chew on my shoe! If Isaac has a cookie I want one too!"

- - - - -

She has a few consistent words now. Here is a list:

• arf (sound of the dog)
  
• Da-da
• hoo-hoo (sound of the owl)
• Isaac
• moon
• out (of the room, or of the house)
• owl
• uh-oh
  

And, of course, "Mama."

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She doesn't talk much, but she understands nearly everything we say. It's funny to think it was just two months ago that our ability to communicate really clicked into place.