Maaammmmmaaaaa!

A while ago I wrote about waiting with excitement for Molly to start talking.  Although she really isn't talking yet she is starting to say a few words very clearly and every day she seems to have a new sound or gesture to indicate what she wants.  The list of words she is saying clearly is rather ironic:  Mama, Dada, up, bye-bye, eyes, baby, ball, bum (which usually includes a bum tap), and the ever important woof-woof.  She also has her own words/sounds for shoes, bottle, cup, more, zoo, book and so on.  Accompanying these new found words are two interesting phenomenons, temper tantrums and repetitive Mama calling.

The temper tantrums very closely resemble those that I associate with the terrible-twos/threes.  They usually occur after she has done her best to communicate her wants and JD or I have told her 'no'.  Molly has a stubborn streak and although she aggressively head-shakes 'no' when we do something she doesn't like she also refuses to hear 'no' from us.  The result of each 'no' fiasco is usually screaming, grunting and sometimes a full-out, throw-my-body-on-the-ground-and-cry-until-I-get-what-I-want session.  When Sophie was this age we also went through the pre-terrible-twos phase, but it was nothing like this.  I think Sophie was communicating verbally a little more, whereas Molly thinks she is speaking clearly to us when really all we hear is babble accompanied by lots of pointing.  So, we have tantrums and still hope for Molly to wake up one morning speaking in fully coherent English.  (A mother can dream can't she?)

The second phenomenon that Molly's new found voice has created is what I call the "repetitive-Mama".  It sounds something like this, "Ma, Mama, Maammaa, Ma, Mammmaaa, Mum, Mummm, Ma, Ma, Maammmaa..."  Followed by, "What Molly?"  And then, "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, Ma, Mum, Mum, Mama, Maaaammmmaaa!"  Me again, "Yes, Molly.  What can Mommy get for you?"  Then Molly laughs and giggles as if she has just told the funniest joke.  This dialogue can go on and on and on.  Just the other day it lasted easily for 5 minutes in the car.  Some mornings she is so engrossed in YELLING my name that she doesn't even notice I've come into her bedroom and am standing beside the crib.  I actually startled her one morning this week because she didn't realize I was there.  It happens during dinner, play time, bath time, anywhere and everywhere.  She will even walk right up to me and YELL "Mama" to get my attention...did I mention she YELLS it!  Although it is very cute and sweet at first to hear your baby trying "Mama" out it so many different ways the novelty quickly wears off.  We have now reached a point where Molly thinks it is a bit of game.  She yells "Ma", I respond and repeat.  Even at the tender age of 17 months the power of speech is addictive!  Now that she realizes how powerful her voice and words can be it is time to teach her to YELL "Dada".

Here is a sample of what my house sounds like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNkp4QF3we8