For a few good months now, she’s been able to construct fairly cohesive sentences already.
As parents would know, this development kinda creeps up on you. One day they’d be making simple sentences of no more than 3-4 words, usually in simple structure of [ first-person | expression of desire or action | an object(ive) ].. suddenly the next day they are having a 2-way conversation with you.
I have been having a few of those already of late.
“Daddee, why did the neighbour-boy do like that?” (came by dressed in “ugly” masks & costumes asking for candy)
(She still remembers??) “Because it’s Halloween…”
“Ha-o-ween? … I don’t like…”
“It’s okay, it’s only once a year (she doesn’t know “year”) -it’s like birthday (she doesn’t know a year separates each birthday); it’s over already.”
“But why he wear marks?”
“Marks?”
“Yah, he put it on his face..”
“Oh, mask. Yeah, it’s okay, they were only playing. But it’s over already, okay?”
“Okay.. I wanna go swimming….”
“Me too, but it rained last night, so the pool would be grr-grr-grr-cold..”
“Yaaa, the rain [gasps for air] fall in the pool, & make the water cooooold. But if we wait for a little while, [gasps]it won’t be cold anymore (I have told her that after it’s been sunny for a while the water may not be as cold) & then [gasps]Caitlin can wear her costume & float in the water [gasps] & SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH…. & [gasps]PFFFT out the water….. cannot drink the swimming pool water you know?”
“Yeah…”
“Ha-o-ween? … I don’t like…”
“I know, it’s only once a year, okay?”
Her attempts at pronouncing new words, as well as reusing it correctly later on, tickles me with very different effects. She knows how to pronounce “escalator” but is still struggling with “excavator” everytime she sees one on the road. It’s even funnier when she knows she’s not getting it & laughs at herself.
When she is good, she is really good; & these moments just melt my heart.
We are trying to ween her off her pacifier now. I have recited to her the things that she’s already achieved: she can dog-paddle on her own to the pool’s ladder, she can count from 1-10 in English, Mandarin, & Malay, she can crayon-colour the pictures within their boundaries..
All these are both building her confidence as well as making her wanting to be able to do more. I can tell she is obliging giving up the pacifier but is having internal struggles with her withdrawal symptoms! But she does want to, & that is just so adorable!
These are also reasons why she is so welcomed when we visit her uncles. Caitlin’s cousins are all now in or reaching their teens. When Caitlin is around, my brothers & wives get to somewhat relive the joys of having a toddler around (again)- her innocence, the funny things she says, the simple joys of discovering things we all take for granted, pulling their hands to participate in an activity (usually a dance) that would make their teenage kids either roll their eyes or laugh at the image of their parents actually obliging.
I am already missing the 3-4 word sentences.
It’s good to wean her off her pacifier asap. When Alycia was around 2.5yo (and was hooked to her pacifier) and still couldnt pronounce certain sounds, I got worried and brought her to a speech therapist.
The first thing that the ST asked was whether Alycia took pacifier. She said the first step in correcting Aly’s speech is to wean her off her pacifier. True, one week after ditching her paci, she could finally pronounce words that she couldn’t pronounce.
Wow! She sure can do quite a few stuff well!
Max is also starting to be really chatty, talking and not just blabber. He can be so funny trying to tell you a story or say some things but the syllables sometimes get joined together. Micah can be a pretty good translator for him at times. That’s fun to see too.
@ Shireen
Thanks for the tip.
Caitlin’s not feeling well since Deepavali eve; started with fever (for no apparent reason) & now developed a cough. Naturally her mood isn’t too hot either, figuratively. So we’ve been giving in to her wish for her paci still these few days. She does sleep better with it, & rest is what she needs lots of right now…