Lost in Translation

 Esmé is almost 19 months old and speaking in full sentences. This is a pretty big accomplishment for someone who still can't put on her own socks; the only problem with her constant and often loud talking is that her sentences consist mostly of just one word: BAH.

Asking a question: Bah bah bah baaaaaaaaaahhh?
Making a statement: Baaaaaah bah bah bah bah bah baaaah baaahhhh.
Demanding something: BAAAH BAAAH BAAAH BAAAH BAAAAAAAAAHHHH! (This one is accompanied by unrelenting pointing at something)

Occasionally, she'll pepper her conversation with a few other favorite words:

"Bah BAAAAH baah bah ee-i-o ee-i-o ee-i-o?!" This means she wants to watch Baby Einstein. Sometimes it also means she wants a drink of water.

"Dadda, mama, Tutu, Papa, Naaaaa, a dog, knee! knee!" This is what I hear over the monitor when she's supposed to be napping.

And probably her second most favorite word: "Cracker? Cracker? Cracker? Cracker? Cracker?" She repeats it continuously, growing in urgency until she's achieved her goal. I say, "Do you want a cracker?"

"YEEAAAH! (Another favorite word)

Yet when I offer her the cracker, she'll shake her head and say, "No no no."

So I ask, "Then what do you want?"

"A baaahhh."

Sometimes I feel like if I hear one more BAH during the day, my head is going to explode! So I hope she learns English soon, because I'm sure our lack of communication is frustrating to both of us sometimes.

She sure is cute, though!

Here she is with "Yo-bah". He's wearing Esmé's white "bahs" on his feet. And they're sitting in her "bah". (By the way, if you think we're grooming Esmé to be a major nerd because she plays with Yoda dolls, you're right. However, she also enjoys putting on pretend makeup and blow-drying her hair, so at least she'll be an attractive nerd.)

Here she is wearing a purple "bah" in her hair.

 In my opinion, Esmé is generally a sweet, happy, smart little girl. She actually knows lots of words  (though she doesn't use them all in conversation) and is very vocal. She is very social and loves to interact with anyone--whoever happens to sit behind us in church can attest to that. She adjusts pretty well to new situations--she started nursery at church and though she'll cry when we leave, she can tough it out until the end and even tells us that she likes going.

She is extremely determined to get what she wants in life. Like her father. She inherited what I like to call the "Roo-conniving" gene, which allows her to cleverly maneuver her way into getting what she wants. This actually can work to my benefit, because I can easily leverage things she wants to make her obey. And usually she will be agreeable and compliant. Like her mother.

She is so full of energy and life and a little a lot of craziness. She could climb and run and jump all day, as long as she's got a good supply of crackers. I think the pictures below best sum up this aspect of her personality:

We love you, Esmé!!

An Update on Baby ... Boy?

Here I am with baby, at just about 7 months along:

The baby is doing well. However, there has been some speculation that she is actually a he. Let me explain. On three separate occasions, I have had women (strangers) come up to me and make the following observation:

Strange woman [in foreign accent]: Oh, you are expecting!

Annie: Yep.

Strange woman: So, I see you are having a boy. [This isn't said as a question. They say it as if they can see the man-child himself hanging out in my tummy.]

The first time it happened, I just assumed the lady was crazy. I didn't know what I was having yet, so I just thought she was confused and backed away. But then it happened again! Another lady remarked, just by looking at my tummy, that I must surely be having a boy. By then I knew it was a girl and I told her so. When she asked if I was sure, I reassured her that that's what the latest scientific advances in ultrasound technology told me, so...I thought she was crazy and backed away. The third time, my waitress remarked that I should be excited to be having a boy. What!? I told her the baby was a girl, and again she acted politely incredulous. Apparently, the way that I am carrying the baby has all the hallmarks of it being a boy.

Does my baby bump look especially boyish to you?

So now I'm not sure! Can I trust the technology? Just as a side note, I noticed that the first lady was Hispanic, the second was a Romanian, and the third was an Iranian, so I'm wondering if they all possess some kind of ancient Old-World sorcery that allows them to read the human body even better than an ultrasound machine...  (However, I did notice the baby kicking a lot while we watched The Bachelor, so I thought that could be an indication that she is a she...unless they were kicks of dismay, which could mean he is a he!) I don't know what to believe anymore!

In the end, I guess if the baby comes out a boy, I won't be completely surprised now. I'll just tell the nurses that a Romanian already told me so.

Our Favorite Things

First, if you're tired of seeing pictures of Christmas, read no further.

If you've chosen to continue, let me show you some of our favorite Christmastime things:

1. Not participating in the family nativity on Christmas Eve.

Esmé was slated to play an angel abiding over Christ's birth. She chose instead to play the angel who stays behind in heaven to hold down the fort while everyone else goes abiding.

2. Stairs. We don't have stairs at our house, but all our grandpa's and grandma's do. Anytime Esmé sees stairs, she'll enlist the closest person around to help her walk up and down them. All day long. Grandpa was usually a key player in this activity.

3. Grandpas and Grandmas, Tutus and Papa Tutus

4. Going to church on Christmas. (And going home after only one meeting so we can eat candy and open presents.)

5. So many toys!

6. Idaho! Where Tutu and Papa Tutu have a brand new Star Wars room that we got to decorate and sleep in.

Each action figure scene was carefully and lovingly crafted by Roo.

7. Celebrating New Year's at 6:45 pm. That goes for me and Roo, too...

8. More presents!

9. Pies.

10. Seeing so many fun aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents! (And our long-lost pets, Lando, Leia, and Chase, who, by the way, are thriving in the clear mountain air.)

(Some pictures courtesy of Nat. Thanks, Nat.)