Bigger and better adventures

What an amazing difference a year makes.

At one corrected (15 months actual) last year, we thought she might possibly be trying to say “cat” - but it was neither clear nor consistent so we weren’t sure.

As it turned out, she was trying to say cat.  Since then, her progress has been astounding.

This week we had her 2 year corrected review, and the results are almost unbelievable.

Language development - 98th percentile for corrected age - 92nd percentile for chronological age, “representing a developmental age equivalent to 31 months for receptive communication and between 37 and 39 months for expressive language skills.”

Things she has said in the past week that made me stop and write them down I was so impressed:

- Oscar sitting on the chair, on the pillow
- There’s another little corn tin
- That’s pretty groovy
- No want Talia’s rocking horse at Mothers’ Group, no want Talia’s rocking horse with Talia’s friends
- Mum draw pink octopus like this octopus
- No want lying down
- No want talk to daddy
- There’s a beetle inside treasure box
- There’s a lizard up on the branch
- Mum washed Talia’s dog and bones ‘jamas
- That’s very good Talia

We have not only caught up with language - we’ve leapfrogged quite a few full-termer friends!

Talia has become a complete hoot since she got the gift of the gab. She comes out with new things every day and I have to say it is the most amazing time, you can see her soaking things up like a sponge - and squirting them all back out again.

* When I take off her nappy, we look at it together.  If she’s pooped, she says “oooooh, poo!” and if she hasn’t, she says “All gone poo! Nuffing poo!”

* For the first time ever, she tried to sing “head, shole, knee, toes”, with pretty good hand actions.  Less fortunately it was while sitting at the front of a synagogue in front of the rabbi in the middle of the serious bit of the service.  :lol:  It was hilarious.

* She is completely mad about animals, especially zoo and farm animals, and can name loads of them.  She has Maisy’s Farm on DVD and watches it every day.  It has lots of baby animals so we had this conversation this morning.  Me: “what’s a baby duck called?” T:”duck-ing!”  Me: “That’s right Talia, very good! What’s a baby pig called?” T:(huge grin) “pig-ing!”  Me: “Mmm, I think a baby pig is called a piglet. What’s a baby sheep called?” T: (another huge grin) “sheep-let!”

Today, by complete coincidence, we had 2 appointments at the child development centre.

Audiology - a follow up from one last winter, to be sure that the sluggishness at that time was only due to a cold and nothing else.

Talia turned to hear all the sounds played - they asked if I wanted them to actually look in her ears but knowing how much she hates anyone touching her ears (major screaming sesson), I decided not to worry about it. No need to see them again.

Speech pathology - a first appointment after a referral made in (drumroll) May 2008! Can you tell they don’t have enough SPs in the public system here? I would have gone private if I was really worried, but figured Talia would catch up in her own time.

I had a lovely surprise before we went. They had sent a form asking how many words she said spontaneously (ie not just copying you) and I had filled it out in December but now went over it again and was able to circle a heap more words. I thought it was going to be about 60 words, but including animal noises, names of characters etc, it was more like 90. In perspective: 15 months - no clear words. 18 months - less than 10 words. 21 months - 90 words. So proud of my little cherub.

At the appointment Talia was brilliant, played with all the toys, even came out with a new word while we were there. The SP said she is well on the way to the 2 year average which is basically (a) 50 words and (b) two word sentences. We don’t have 2 word sentences yet, but apparently they usually consist of object + describing word or doing word, and Talia knows lots of objects but says very few describing/doing words. So that’s what I’ll be trying to concentrate on while I’m playing with her. The SP also said she is great at commenting and understands what’s being said, but isn’t so good at using language for “social purposes” - for example she doesn’t call for attention or make requests much using words. So that’s something else we’ll be trying to work on. We’re going to have a follow up appoinment in 3-4 months time.

To top the day off, Talia ate a huge (for her) amount of ravioli for dinner… so I’m very happy on all counts!

In a lovely development this month, Talia has started singing! She doesn’t do it much on her own, but joins in when I am singing at home or in the car.
So far her repertoire includes:
- Old McDonald - she does the animal noises and the e-i-e-i-o
- Galumph Went the Little Green Frog - she says “baaaa” when I say “but” and then sings “ya ya ya” when I sing “la de da de da”
- Pat-a-cake - just the first words, only she loses a syllable, so it sounds like “pack-ache, pack-ache”
- I had a Rooster - she does the animal noises
- Wind the Bobbin up - she says “poo, poo” for “pull, pull” and claps/pats her knees at the correct times

She also claps along to the first verse of If you’re Happy and you Know it, and does the beeps in the second verse of the Wheels on the Bus.

Karaoke here we come!

When Talia started cruising the furniture back in June, I had no idea it would take quite so long before she was really ready to walk by herself.

She took her first hesitant little steps two months ago, and could often be persuaded to walk while holding on to our hands. It was clear there was nothing physical holding her back, but she seemed to lack either the confidence or the incentive to get up and just go, preferring to either crawl (quite speedily, especially if trying to get away from someone who wanted to change her nappy or put her to bed) or wait for her “staff” to come and carry her to wherever she wanted to go.

When we saw the physiotherapist at the State Child Development Centre in mid September, she told us that she regarded a child to be walking properly when they were also able to stand up by themselves in the middle of the room. We passed that milestone on Wednesday last week.  I was so excited I clapped and cheered.  Talia gave me a big smile, took three steps forward and fell splat on her bottom.

However, the the big day has finally come - drumroll please - as of Sunday 16 November 2008, we have a toddler.  Something clicked and she realised it was safe, easy, fun…  whatever it was, she’s up and walking and it’s a wonderful achievement.  Our only regret is that Talia’s Grandpa, who asked us so many times if she was walking yet, passed away just a few months too soon to see her in motion.  He would have been so happy.

Ages ago I read an interesting article about “wonder weeks“. Apparently babies go through predictable stages where they spend a period of time being fussy - unusually clingy and difficult - followed by a period of time when they are much happier after passing through a stage of development.

We’ve definitely had one of those wonder weeks! After several days of extreme crankiness, the last few days have seen Talia

- trying to walk dozens of times a day (whereas beforehand she went for days without trying) and usually managing at least 4 steps per attempt - sometimes up to 8.

- stacking boxes for the first time, including one 4 box tower. Previously she was only interested in destroying any sort of stack.

- standing up in the middle of the room (not pulling herself up on anything) for the first time

- scribbling for the first time (using an etch-a-sketch I bought second hand today)

She has been very pleased with these achievements, with lots of smiles and clapping, and as doting parents we are also very proud of her.

Talia’s vocabulary is continuing to expand at an unprecedented rate.  I must confess that prior to the last couple of weeks, I had read articles saying how toddlers may know hundreds of words by the time they are 2 and thought “I can’t believe that”.  But now I’m a believer!

Before I forget them all, I thought I should try and keep tabs on Talia’s new words… so I’m going to start a new page where I can list them.   All my reading and talking is paying off - woo hoo!

This past weekend has seen Talia finally brave enough to take a couple of steps without hanging on to anything or anyone. Our goal of walking before Christmas now looks more likely! She has been a barefoot baby (just in socks over winter) all her life, but I’m putting her in little sandals for short periods of time each day now. We have a cute little pair with “woof-woof” on the front that squeak with each step - so cute!

She is now 16 months corrected, 19 actual, and as of this morning weighs just under 9.5kg.  In other recent news, she has enjoyed her first see-saw experience!