Happy Birthday, JZ!!!

Are you prepared for her to be smarter than you?

Sometimes we wonder.

or darts you a look of mischief as she disobeys.

Really, Susan, she's plenty smart. She just keeps her own counsel.

The latest version, which just started this morning when she woke up and continued when I went to get her out of her crib when she awoke from her nap a few minutes ago, goes as follows: Annabel wakes up in a good mood. I tell her to stand up, since I'm still supposed to be coddling my back, and it's much easier to get her out of the crib that way. She begins to comply, getting as far as hands and knees or a squat, then drops to her stomach, shimmies into the corner, and grins at me. Lather, rinse, repeat, with me improvising something along the lines of "Girls who play games with Mama get TICKLED!" Eventually she decides she's done and stands up and walks over to be picked up.

Oh, Hec, Emmett's Dad is just one of the great things that you are!(seems to me you're awesome at it, though, from my Weird Single Friend opinion) Let's see...that makes the compliment tally between us like 95 to five still, but "sometimes you catch the ball and sometimes it rains."

Here are my new glasses! you can't really tell the color.

It's a godawful pic of me and I'm only showing it because I love you people.

[link]

You look kind of...insane.

My BIL didn't speak a word until he was 4. Then, his first word was a complete sentence. His parents asked him why he didn't say anything before that and his response was, "I didn't have anything important to say."

Yeah. Our friend's nephew didn't speak until well after he was three years old, I think. His first "word" was, "The telephone is RINGING," when nobody had gotten to the phone soon enough for his taste. Chris was a late talker. He could talk, but didn't. He started shortly before he turned three. He taught himself to read when he was four. Now he's adding, subtracting, and trying to learn Spanish. By the time he's ten, I'm going to be completely useless to him.

You look kind of...insane.

I was thinking you look contagiously adorable. I dig the new specs.

I think I look dorky.

Also, without really trying I've lost 7 lbs. I've been mindful of losing weight, but I haven't done too much except exercise more and cut out the snacks and most carbs.

Some of the weight was premenstrual bloat, but I haven't been at this weight for several months. Go team me!

Susan, do you talk to Annabel? Do you make conversation with her--ask her questions? Do you make her ask for things from you (rather than responding to pointing and gesturing). These are the ways to get a child talking. "If you want a cookie, use your words and tell me." You don't do it to the point where you're both frustrated. You just put it out there as an expectation, every time you're communicating with her.

Sample Conversation

SUSAN: Annabel, do you want orange juice, or milk with your breakfast?

Annabel points to the milk

Susan pretends she suddenly no longer understands pointing.

SUSAN: Annabel, answer Mommy, please. Do you want orange juice, or milk?

Annabel grunts and points to the milk, wondering why her every wish wasn't immediately fulfilled.

SUSAN: Annabel, tell mommy, "Milk, please."

Annabel grunts

SUSAN: Good girl. Milk. Milk. I will get you some milk.

She probably won't answer you at first, and again, you don't do it to the point of frustration, but you make it clear it's part of the game for her, too. Do it with everything--food, toys, drinks, games, clothes. Talk to her, like you expect her to talk back, and use your gestures (facial expressions, hand movements, head inclinations) to make it clear you're expecting and encouraging her to talk. Be calm about it. You don't want to stress the kid out. Don't be too demanding either, or she may not speak to spite you. I suspect, like Hec says, she's just one who keeps her own counsel, since it's clear from what you've said that she understands you well enough.

HOLY FUCKING SHIT ZOMBIE DOGS OMG.