We Have Words!

Warning:  This is a post to record for myself what L is doing at this age.  Probably very boring for everyone else to read (so just look at the cute picture instead ;-)!

I wouldn't call it a language "explosion" just yet, but Miss L is finally saying some words.  A couple of weeks ago, she started saying "hi" and "bye bye" more consistently and clearer (she just said "hi" to daddy on the phone a few minutes ago, in fact ;-)).  Last week, we were sitting at the dinner table and the dog walked by and clear as day she said "hi doggie".  J and I looked at each other like "did she seriously just say that?!!"  She has been saying "yes" and "please" for a while now, but they both sort of sound the same (like a fancy version of the "ssss" sound) and we usually have to prompt her to say them.  She has also said "shoes" for a while now, but it just sounds like the "shhhh" sound (yes, the girl still loves her shoes).

Today, however, is her best language day to date.  I was getting her dressed this morning and had all of her clothes and accessories laid out next to her.  She reached over and picked up her bow and said clearly "bow", but I ignored it because I thought it was a fluke.  Well, when I didn't acknowledge her, she then put the bow right up to my face and said again clearly "bow".  B was in there with me and he heard it too and was so excited - "mommy, mommy, she said bow!!!"  After running some errands this morning, I was getting her out of the car and she pointed to the big bucket of balls we have in the gargage and said "ball".  I took her inside and sat down at the computer in the office and she was pointing behind me and again saying "ball".  For a moment, I was discouraged thinking there couldn't possibly be a ball behind me in the office (and wondering if what she said in the gargage was truly "ball"), but I turned around and there it was - a soccer ball that all the kids on B's soccer team signed as a thank you gift for J for coaching their team!

A little bit later, I was reading one of her favorite books with her.  On every page it has a different animal and the text is "what do you say to the [animal]" and then the animal sound.  We have read this book together on and off ever since she came home and she consistently does many of the sounds - "woof", "baa", "roar" and sometimes "hissss" - but this morning for the first time, she did the bee sound and really clearly - "buzzzzzz".  I have never heard her do the "zzzzz" sound before (at least on purpose), so that was pretty exciting.

So, at this point, I have heard L say the following words:
- Animals sounds - baa, woof, moo (infrequently), roar ("rahhh"), meow (infrequently), hee haw, hiss, and buzz
- Hi ("hi doggie" - once)
- Bye bye
- shoe ("shhhh")
- down ("dow")
- bow
- ball
- no (once)
- thank you (sounds like "ta tu")
- please (eassss)
- yes (essss)

Okay, so I know it doesn't sound like much, but it puts my mind at ease that she is making some real progress.  Ironically, we had our first visit with the speech therapist last week. She didn't do or suggest anything that we are not already doing, so I hope that she has other techniques and therapies in mind going forward.  However, with the way L is progressing, I have a feeling that therapy may be shorted lived anyway.  B was a late talker as well.  He had no words at all at 20 months, but by the time I was able to get him in for an evaluation at 22 months, he was saying over 50 words and did not quality for services.  He is now an advanced reader and writer in Kindergarten, so I know that kids all take off at different rates.  I am hoping that L is just a late bloomer with talking like B was and that there isn't anything more complex going on.  Either way, we are getting the therapy and doing all we can to help her along.