Language EXPLOSION!

Saturday morning...relaxing in the sun and twirlin' hair.

Pumpkin and chalk purse.

Little old lady, or what?

Big girl.

...it's happening.  She's trying out all kinds of words.  Some she's commited to her vocab for regular use and others she just tries out, or repeats if she's asked to.  It's amazing to watch it happen right before our eyes.  She's jabbering more than ever before with hilarious inflection and animated facial expressions, just like she's talking and asking questions.  Her favorite jabbering phrase, is:  "jaba-jaba-jaba-jaba-joe". To which I answer" "jaba-jaba-jaba-jaba-joe?"  To which she replies..."butha-butha-butha-babeeee, baby."  

old favorites: baba (bottle, which is acutally a sippy cup or any type of drink), baby, mama, dadee, up, bear, and of course the ever popular animal sounds...

New ones include:  star, wa-wa (water), down, boo, bath, please, cheese, Jesus, cracker, Gi Gi (her dolly), bumpa, mam-ma, Pat (Grandma Pat),  juice, blue, I-I (her friend, Ivey)

Phrases:  "mama, bath!"  (this was a demand, actually, made to me after Ford already told her she didn't need a bath).  And her first phrase was actually: "dada baba" which was in reference to Ford's beer bottle :)  Nice one. 

It just happens, all of the sudden!  You can actually see the wheels turning and the determination and desire to communicate.  She is growing up, right before my eyes.  Any minute now she's going to be asking for a puppy. 

And perhaps one of my favorite things she communicates right now is this...

Usually at meal time I am in a scramble to get the cooking done and the kitchen cleaned up and the dishwasher unloaded...and all the while, Amelia tends to try to roam about freely into other rooms and out of my sight.  So that I can keep my eye on her, I put her in her high-chair and get her started with some food while I cook.  So, she's well into her meal before I sit down to eat with her at lunch time.  The same usually goes at dinner time when Ford and I both sit down with her, she's usually already started her meal.  So, here it is...without fail, whether it's just me or both Ford and I, as soon as we take our seats, all on her very own Amelia stops eating and folds her hands to pray.  

Every time.  

As soon as we are all seated as a family, she knows it's time to pray.  Sadly, I have to admit, in the craziness and hustle to get everything done and everyone fed, I tend to forget sometimes.  I am always so grateful for the reminder and, everytime, so amazed that she remembers this very important activity...praying as a family and thanking God for our blessings.