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!!