Pea was two-years old before she was really talking. From about the time of her first birthday until her second, you could regularly hear my husband and I asking one another, “when do you think she’ll say something? By the time she’s thirteen months? Oh, definitely.” And then one month later, we’d be asking the same question, only the deadline would be fourteen months. And so on and so on. I wouldn’t say we were frustrated, just curious as to why such an obviously clever little girl was holding back on her words. Every once in a while, my mother-in-law would declare “she said ‘outside,’ did you hear it?” But I never heard it. I don’t think my husband did, either.
Then shortly after her second birthday, we enrolled her in “Summer Fun” at her nursery school. After the first day at her new camp, she was talking. Seriously. And from that day forward, every time she came home from camp, she had more and more words for us. It was delightful.
And now, six months later, I’m floored at what she’s able to communicate. It’s not just her words but also the concepts. It just keeps getting better and better.
Today was one of those days that I just had to write about in the journal I keep for the girls. Pea asked me at bath time if I would take one with her. “Please, mama?” How could I say no to that? So I got in with her and of course she had water fights in mind. Dumping water on me, squirting water at me. Not always my favorite thing, but there was something about her joy tonight that was so completely captivating that I quickly gave in to the moment and allowed her to soak me, over and over. And at one point, she got very serious, grabbed my face in her hands, and said, “you’re a good mama.” I replied, “thank you, Pea.” And then a moment of reflection passed, and she said, “I’m a good me.”
Yes, little Pea. You are a good you. A very good you.
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I just want to say thank you for this post (and many others, for that matter). I can’t remember how I came upon your blog a few months ago, but I’m thankful I did.
I have a little bean and she just turned one a week ago. Sometimes, as a new parent (or not so new anymore), you have questions that you can’t seem to find answers to through endless internet searches and are too afraid to ask friends for fear that they’ll shrug off your concerns.
Very recently I felt slightly concerned that our daughter hasn’t really spoken yet. She babbles all the time, but has not said any coherent words – that I’m aware of, anyway. I’m not freaking out in any way, but I do know quite a few little ones who started talking much earlier than this. So I started to wonder, when will she? Is she supposed to have said anything by now? What does it mean if she isn’t talking?
Anyway, all this to say that after reading your post I feel relieved. Maybe I just needed to see that someone out there has had the same or similar ‘concerns’ about when their own child would start speaking. And with a beautiful, brilliant happy ending no less.
So thank you. Thanks for sharing so much of your life with friends and strangers alike. You just never know who you are helping.
What a sweet story – I love the things these little ones come up with to make you feel happier than a butterfly on a sunny day…
I echo all the sentiments mentioned below. You are doing all the right things with your little girls Melissa. Pea would never be how she is, were that not the case. It is so easy to forget that what our children want most from us is sharing – whether that be in the form of play or a physical demonstration of our love (cuddle time, kisses and hugs), we get so caught up in parenting that we can become oblivious to the simple parts of it – that’s when the only thing your child wants is for you to be there next to them. I’m glad you got into the moment. I’ll take a page from your book today and build train tracks with my own little one.
One of the sweetest stories I’ve read in a long time!
that might be one of the sweetest things i’ve ever heard…
what a love!!
hope you’re having a nice weekend!!
=)
That brought tears of happiness to my eyes!! That is the sweetest thing EVER… Those moments are the rewards for your patience and grace , Melissa!
This one made me smile!
How precious!!!