The Sounds

Popster is a little jabber-box now. She has been for a good couple months, but she's gotten more and more varied in her sounds. For the longest time she would rock the mamamaa mamamaa - rinse and repeat depending on her level of displeasure. The mamamaa's could go on for a couple minutes. It seemed that once she moved on to the dadadaa she was ready for more sophisticated syllables. Every morning while walking down the hallway I get her to wave at the mirror. I always say hi and I swear she took a deep breath and exhaled hhhiiii, even if it was really only that one time.

It's funny the sounds Angie and I hear from her. Today I'd put money on her saying thank you. A few days ago something must've got her going, because we both heard her say rat bastard, which takes some creativity seeing as rat bastard is not one of mine or Angie's go-to phrases, so you tell me how else to explain her genius.

She's been laughing for a long time, but we still don't get too many connected laughs. It's more of a haaa rather than a hahaha. It seems that she's more interested in scrunching her face, squinting her eyes, and shrugging her shoulders than connecting her laughs. I can usually get her to haaa when it's about bath time. I start kissing and chomping on her tummy - gets her every time!

She's learned to trill her tongue. Angie can do it on command. I need a song lyric to get a trill - usually only for the word. I can trill the "bbdddaaa, dddaa, da, bbddaaa, dddaa, da at the end of "Remember the Time", when Michael starts breaking it down, but that's about it. Pops has learned to just trill. It is so funny. She's so talented!

She's developed this scream where she just evacuates her lungs - usually when in her high-chair and usually when she's saying "get me out of this thing". It's very Velociraptor-like, you know, very nearly bleeds your ears, and you're concerned something terrible is about to happen.

I think my favorite is the sounds you expect to hear from a baby - the bababababbaaa. You can see her little, puffy checks fill with air and her mouth moves like a little guppy - just bababababaaa in the back of the car, or bababababaaa before she starts to eat. She's so funny.

On the move with her teether in her mouth. 

Again with the teether. 

You want me to pack the box or climb in it? I'm flexible either way. 

Just finished her Velociraptor impression.