Hilary Moon Murphy

Baby Talk

December 28, 2000

Cassie, like any good web journalist, narrates the events of her life. Here are snippets of today’s monologue.

“Up. Up. Up. Up.”

Ascending the stairs, one “up” per step.

“Ba’!”

Waving ball in air.

”Woops.”

Throwing ball down stairs, take 1.

“Uh-oh.”

Throwing ball down stairs, take 2.

“Boom.”

Throwing ball down stairs, take 3.

“Wow.”

Watching ball fall.

“Whee whee.”

Waving arms while Mommy carries her down the steps.

”No!”

Banging on the door to the steps after Mommy closed it.

The extent of her vocabulary continues to astonish me. It amazes me to see her draw such a strong connection between language and her own actions.

In many ways, this new mode of communication makes parenting easier. Before, when Cassie was done eating, she would notify me by dumping food from her highchair to the floor. Now she waves at her food and says, "Bye, bye" when she wants to be done with her meal. Cuter, and far less mess to clean up.

However, the new vocabulary does not solve everything. Before she had words, she would scream and kick and sob everytime that we put her in her snowsuit. Now, she still screams, kicks, and sobs but also says "No!" as well...

Guess that's about it for this entry. A blizzard dropped eight inches of snow upon us, and I have to go out and shovel. Maybe Cassie will come out with me if I can ever get her into her snowsuit again.

Stay warm, all of you.

Hmm