Never one who has been at a loss to express her needs and desires, over the past month I've noticed that Isabella has begun Talking.All.Day.Long. This is simultaneously cute and exhausting. I'm a person who requires and enjoys a great deal of quiet. She is evidently a person who does not.
Most of the talking involves her peppering me with questions all the live-long day. In addition to inquiring about the status of inanimate objects, which she started last month and still enjoys, my new favorite by far is, "Mommy, who DAT?".
She's also become a skilled negotiator. When I tell her that it's time to get out of the bath, or finish up her lunch, she'll look at me, hold up her index finger, and say, "Two minutes."
Isabella now says, "Bless you" after I sneeze, and she's also started saying the word "and," which seems minor and insignificant, but it's actually pretty cool to hear her say, for example, "Mommy and Daddy and Grammy" when I ask her who is in a particular photograph.
She's also discovered her inner Mariah, and will sing parts of her favorite songs from her Sesame Street CD ("Sunny Days!!!" and "That's Elmo's World!!"). She can also sing the ABC song with a few letters missing here and there, and she can count to 14.
Her demands to "Hold Something" of last month have been replaced by the more discriminating "Hold Something ELSE!" when I give her an object she's quite obviously not looking for
But my most favorite new development over the past month is that she's begun saying, "I love you" (which sounds more like "I wuv you"). In the past, she'd say it only when we've asked her to say it, and not on her own. Then, out of the blue, I noticed her saying it not to me, her mother, who gave her life, but to this ceramic bunny one of my relatives gave her last Easter. She would wrap it in a blanket, carry it around in her arms, and tell it she loves it, sometimes adding, "so much" at the end. She soon branched out to tell Elmo she loves him too. Then, she moved on to telling the cats she loved them. And then finally, about a week after she started saying it to every cup, book, and plastic ball in the house, she came over to my desk chair where I was working, leaned her back against my leg, and said, "I love you."
For all her forward progress this month, she's regressed in one area. She seems to have developed a strong attachment to her binky, which is odd, since she's only really ever had it for naps and bedtime. She asks for it a lot now during the day (I don't give it to her), and I can't figure out why she wants it so often now. Her pediatrician recommends trying to wean kids off binkies around age two, because she said they can start to experience dental problems if you don't, so I'm going to try and slowly start this process over the next few months.
I have to say, I am loving this age. She's developed into such a little person and she's really getting to be so much fun. I can hold actual conversations with her, she understands so much, and she can play by herself for a few minutes at a time, which allows me more time to sleep on the couch...I mean, meticulously chart her developmental milestones in her baby book.
Likes: Peeling the wrappers off crayons, sweeping, playing in her sandbox (thanks, Marie!)
Totally unsolicited advice...sorry...I wouldn't push removing the binky. Our doctor's say it's not a problem until around 4...if it ever even is a problem. With all the changes coming up, she may find it really comforting to hang on to it now.
Actually, my 5 year old has such a wicked underbite they recommended we keep letting her have it as long as possible because it counteracted the underbite. I couldn't take it anymore, and got rid of it, and now as I see how much worse her underbite is, I wish I had let her keep it a little longer (not until now, that's not what I mean! LOL)
Enjoy all the chatter. It is wonderful, but isn't it funny how sometimes it seems like your head is just going to explode!
She is such the little cutey.
She is the cutest. Hard to believe how quickly they grow.
I was very lucky that Lila sort of gave up her pacifier on her own around age 10 months. I've known several children who have taken the paci until around age 3, and honestly, I think their teeth really do look a little "bucked". However, they were constant paci suckers. I hear it's not that hard to wean them from it; it shouldn't create more tan one or two hard days.
Awwww she is sooo cute!! I love them showing affection more than anything ... it makes you feel like they really get how much you love them when they can express it to someone else. Tabby kissed our closet door the other day though ... that was a bit weird. ;)
Good luck with the binky. SOOO not looking forward to that at our house!!
And just a few months and she's two. Amazing amazing.
Ahhh... The binky debate. Honestly? I think it's genetics. The pacifier MAY influence your children's teeth placement if they have teeth and gums that allow it. Or, they may have teeth and gums that are firmer and it won't matter HOW much the kid sucks a nuk, cuz the teeth ain't movin. Justin had one till 4 years, Evan till 8 months. Their teeth? Identical and in line.
ANYway! She is so adorable! I love that she was lovin on her animals and everything else. Shows that she knows that a bigger person loves on a littler person (or cup)...
Ah the binky...which madelyn calls Binny. hahaha. She began asking for it a lot too, and I realized it was because she was cutting 3 eye teeth all at the same time. Now that those teeth are in she hardly ever asks for it. She's only allowed to have it in the car and for bed. I figure once she is done teething we'll start the weaning. I dread it though.
Okay - since everyone else is talking about the binky, I will too. Hannah had hers for sleep until the day she turned four (we had previously negotiated she would put it in the trash on her 4th b-day, which she did), and Jake had his until his 3rd b-day (same negotiation). I don't think Jake's teeth were affected at all, and it's hard to say about Hannah's, who seems to have gotten stuck with my horrible orthodontic problems anyway and will require massive amounts of corrective alignment (thanks to her tiny mouth). Anway, I might let her have it, too. But I'm a sucker.
With that, I love the age that Isabella is at!! The chatter - just wait until you have more than one talking all day long!!
I never really noticed just how beautiful her complexion is, Kristi, but she is gorgeous! Her hair is getting SO long!
Who DAT? Love it!!!
I don't know much about binkies. Does she have a lovey? A special blanket or stuffed toy that's comforting? God help us if we ever lose the blessed blankie here - I might have to go buy a pacifier for myself!
Glad she's enjoying the sandbox -- you're at least its 3rd owner! I saw one being tossed into a garbage truck this a.m. What a waste of a plastic turtle!
Oh, how I love reading your posts! They make life so much better. I think it's hilarious that she finally put you on the list of loved ones--who seemed to mostly be inannimate objects!!! And of course, she's gets more and more adorable!!!!!
If I lived closer, I would have brought her alphabet soup!!!!
I really love your blog and all the crazy ups and downs you share with us. I have kids in all the age groups right now. I can sympathize with you on the chatter--my girls 14 and 5 have not stopped talking since they started. I sort of almost always listen, but sometimes I do go into la la land for a minute in search of some quiet time which is usually interrupted with "mom, you're not listening."
The binky...only one of my kids cared for the thing but they all need or will need braces, 2 down, 2 to go. Just wean slowly, use only for sleep at first then gently remove it after she's asleep. Hide it during the day unless she needs special comforting you can't provide any other way. She'll give it up in her own time. I'm sure she wont be going to school with it in her mouth. Just don't stress over it.
So cute! She sounds like so much fun. One thing I have to warn you about -- I was a huge talker as a toddler and, um, well, I haven't stopped. I chatter ALL the time. Seriously. All the time. Just ask my poor husband.
Wow, Isabella is a great talker! That's great. I'm so impressed.
I also love how shiny her hair is.
I'm late on this topic but I just found your blog. ; )
The binky issue may stem from the new baby issue. She knows something is different but doesn't know what. The binky may be her security. Not a bad thing when you can't express your own feelings. My oldest had this happen when I had my middle son. Try not to make a big deal out of it. Take your time and show her that she doesn't need. One of my friend had her 3 yr old collect all her binkies to give to the binky "fairy" for the new babies. It helped. She gave her binky up.
My 4 yr old doesn't shut up. EVER. He talks all day and he's speech delayed. I get questions about everything. His big thing is why people die. We can't start with the small things!
She's adorable. Enjoy her talking to you now. When she's a teen you'll be begging her for two words in replace of the eyeroll. ; )