So Many Words!!!

This week, I got one of my weekly updates from Baby Center.  This one was focused on verbal development.  Of course, "normal" is a wide range but I couldn't help comparing Carder to the normal average they stated.

Apparently, at this age, it is normal or average to have 12-15 words that can be said clearly.

I knew that Carder said more than that, so immediately I felt a sense of pride.  However, I hadn't taken the time lately to actually count the words he could clearly say.

After attempting to count them verbally, I lost track of how many words I had gotten to.  I decided that writing them down probably a better idea...

I am positive that my list wasn't all inclusive because I found making many mental notes of words I had forgotten to include.  I also included some animal sounds that he makes (as those are actually words too) to identify certain animals.

The last number on my written list was 130.  I am one proud Mommy. 

Apparently all of that constant chattering I do has paid off!

Nativity Fun



Hey!  Did you SEE this Camel???  It looks like a Monkey!  And BONUS - it has a saddle!

We live across the street from a Catholic Church.  They have this great Nativity Scene that they put out that includes some pretty large plastic figures and a wooden stable.  I took Carder over one afternoon, thinking he might enjoy it.

 

 

HE LOVED IT.

 

 

We have visited the Nativity Scene multiple times this year.  He can see it from our house and regularly requests to go over to visit it.  He talks to all of the animals and Mary and Joseph.  He rides the camels (which I am not sure if the church appreciates but oh well).  We pretty much have to tear him away from it.

 

They packed it away yesterday as we watched from our front window.  Carder kept asking where it was ("HoHoHo" with his hands held out to the side).  Now that I have explained that it is gone until next Christmas, he sadly looks out the window and says "HoHoHo Bye-Bye".

 

Pretty Darn Cute

Phrases

Not too long ago, I got an email from a parenting website with a quiz about toddler vocabulary skills.  I don’t remember how long ago that was and time really does fly by, but it seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago.  A month ago at most.

The choices were similar to this:

·         Less than 5 Words

·         20 Words with at least 5 words being spoken clearly

·         50 Words

·         Using 2 + word phrases

While Carder had quite a few words, I remember thinking to myself that we were FAR from him using phrases.  I was actually quite shocked that some children his age were using phrases.  While I didn’t have a list of the words he can say written down, I knew it was quite a few and answered with 20 words.  The responses showed that Carder was with the majority of his peers in his verbal skills.

A few short weeks later (at most) and Carder has begun using phrases.

I don’t remember the exact date, but I don’t think I will ever forget his first phrase.  Derek had been feeding him crackers.  Carder was standing (jumping) on the couch.  He looked at Derek and said “Da Cracker”.  It was either a request for Daddy to give him another cracker or he was saying Derek was the whitest guy he had ever seen.  (And either of these is entirely possible as my husband sings the most grammatically correct rap songs you have ever heard…I will have to tell the story of “My Humps” some day…)

A couple of days later, Carder was playing with his dump truck in the floor and rammed his truck into the leg of the dining room chair.  He looked at me and said what sounded exactly like “I crash it”.

Wow.  Just WOW.

Say My Name...

Last week, I heard the most beatiful sound in the world.  Carder said his first word - "Mama".  It was early in the morning and I was attempting to get some fluids in my sick little boy before I headed off to work.  He was one day short of 8 months old. 

In the days since, he has repeated this wonderful word over and over and over.  He is also practicing several other words as well.  We think we might have heard "Dada".  We have definitely heard Bas and Das and several consanant vowel combos... 

At this point, I realize that to him it is just babble and he doesn't realize that he has said something that is just melting my heart.  But it is completely melting my heart.

Not that long ago, I wasn't sure I would ever hear a child call me "Mama" unless it was in a game of pretend.  And now, here he is - babbling away.  The sweetest ones have been when he lifts his arms and reaches for me while babbling "Mama".