Words, words, words

Let's talk about words.

HG has been mimicking sounds and repeating words for a month or two now, but only in direct response to something she hears. She has imitated animal sounds - she loves the elephant - and she has copied words such as "duck", "tongue", "apple". And she clearly understands a good range of vocabulary, which she reacts to correctly. But she hasn't been using words of her own initiative. Until now.

Her first word, we can now report, is "Ima". On Thursday, as she was being changed, she looked her mother in the eye and said it. Since then, she's said it several times, always when it would be an appropriate thing to say, such as when she came home to Ima after going to shul with Abba. "Ima" was followed quickly by "Abba" (though less often). She sometimes says that when her mother is on the phone during the day.

Yesterday, she expanded her vocabulary with another key word: "up". We've used "up" for a long time, to mean anything from lifting her up to her standing up to taking her "up" out of her high chair. So when she was done eating yesterday, she distinctly said "up". And she's used it in other contexts since.

Today's new word - one she has often loved to mimic - was "duck". Her rubber ducks are some of her favorite toys, and today as she was playing with one she repeated, "duck-duck-duck-duck".

It's magical to watch her suddenly start using words, and we're looking forward to many more, God willing.

Head, shoulders, knees and toes
Speaking of vocabulary, she's been learning more of her body parts lately. She has known "nose" for a long time, especially when it comes to grabbing someone else's. Usually when asked where her nose is, she will grab Ima's instead. Though when asked "where's Abba's nose" she goes for his glasses.

But now she will point to several parts of her body when asked: her head, her "pipik" (belly), her toes, her tongue, sometimes her knees. She confuses some of the parts of the face (chin, cheek, ear), but she's working on them.

Turn, turn, turn
Her latest new game is spinning the leather armchair. Ima was sitting in the chair in the center of the room, with the footrest up. HG stood up with her hands on the footrest, and started walking, turning the chair in circles. Round and round she went, with an excited smile. Then she shifted to push against the body of the chair, much closer to the axle and requiring much more power. After a bit of getting used to it, she was revolving again.

In other news, she's learned how to go down slides by herself. She can't climb up them, but when placed on top she'll put her hands on the rails, edge herself forward and geronimo! Someone needs to be on hand to make sure she doesn't slip on the way down, but she's pretty stable. And loves it!