Communication at its best!

Let me just say that I'm really glad that Mark is home from his 2nd hospital stay. It definitely was a long week without Dad!

Madalyn is really trying to talk now. It's almost as if she figures out something new everyday. Here's a really funny conversation that took place earlier this week. Let me preface by saying that Daddy was really tired so he was still sleeping when Mady and I woke up. I got her changed and got her milk for her. She heard him stirring in the bedroom and this is what was "said" :

Mady. "Mom-meee!" (in a very to-the-point type of way)
Me. "yes, baby?"
Mady. (as she's pointing to the bedroom) "DAD!"

It was just really cute to hear her talking and it was even more amazing that she was actually communicating with me. She knew what she was doing and what she was trying to "say." She was letting me know that her daddy was awake!

It's been really cute to hear her when she talks to Mark and I. I'm always "Mom-mee" now (as opposed to the ole "ma ma ma") and Mark is usually "DAD." She calls for mom when she's wanting something or when she's tired or not feeling well. She calls for Dad when she wants to play. I think all kids are like this :) Sometimes she'll even speak to me from across the room or even another room and she'll say "Mom-mee" to which I answer "yes baby?" Then she usually just points to something or jabbers or signs if she can. It's just neat that she understands how to get my attention by calling for me.

She's also said her version of "Amen." We pray with her every night before bed and during mealtimes so she's definitely heard the word amen. Once she said it plain as day and then another time she was saying "men" back to me over and over.

Another one of Madalyn's latest new things is making animal noises. We were reading her zoo book one night and she pointed at the lion. I said that the lion says "roar." The rest of the night she was "roaring." And the funny things was that the next morning when I went in to get her up, she "roared" at me out of the blue! Definitely cute. It's always unexpected too.. in the car, in a store... she never "roars" when you ask her too. Ha! She can "honk" like a goose and today she started to "ooh ooh ooh" like a monkey. It's definitely a riot!!! She's our little animal.

I've not been teaching her very many new signs lately so I was surprised when she signed "drink" at the dinner table tonight. I checked out a couple of board books at the library on signs for babies and she loves to look at them. Yesterday she kept turning to the drink page and I would say "drink" and do the sign. Tonight at dinner I asked her if she wanted a drink and the little scoot signed it. It just goes to show that babies pick up on everything whether you think they do or not!

It's fun to be able to start communicating with Mady. I'm looking forward to some exciting times ahead!!!