Yesterday, we went to Red Lobster for Ninong Platypus’ birthday.  The waiters were so impressed with Elle’s talkative nature, even going as far as to inquire about her age.  

At 19 months, she understands that she can participate in conversations, even answering the waitress on what she wanted to order.  When the waitress asked her sisters for their order, she quickly said “fries” and then said thank you when she was given her water to drink.  One waiter had to do a double take to see who the thank you came from.  The waitress then asked, towards the ending of our meal, how old Elle was because she would say things every time she passed by our table.

Just the other day, Elle was near the stairs looking for me, screaming my name.

Elle: mama!! mama! where you?
Me: I’m upstairs Elle.
Elle Okay! I coming.

She also initiates questions like “what’s that?” or “what happened?”

Even with two girls already, having seen their development, Perze and I are STILL bewildered with how quick Elle is learning to use language and understand it.  She also learned how to walk at 8 months, so sometimes we forget that she’s still very much a baby.  But when she reacts and acts maturely like a 2.5 year old, we sometimes forget and in turn, treat and talk to her like she’s much older. 

She also has started singing her ABCs and counting to 10, skipping numbers along the way. She also started singing Happy Birthday, adding to the many children’s songs she knows. She really has proven to be our ‘songbird’…responding and making music…even singing when we are not around (something her sisters used to do as well).

I can’t imagine how she will understand the world and the people around her at her second year- esp. how she communicates with us.