Tonight Eva had one of those little milestones that strikes me as important even though I’ve never read about it in any baby book or website. She finally started trying to talk (using consonants) clearly in order to communicate rather than just making sounds. She fixed me with this penetrating stare (or glare, more accurately) and started berating me: “ba! Ba ba ba ba bababa!” Apparently I wasn’t getting her to bed fast enough.
I knew she was unhappy and was trying to tell me so, but all the same it was all I could do to not laugh in her face at how cute she was and how endearing it was that she seemed to think she was using words.
The kid never ceases to amaze me.
One of my favourite moments in a child’s development is the first time they look at you, concentrate, and deliberately make a sound that’s obviously intended as some kind of communication other than crying or laughing.
Yes, that’s exactly it. I think you articulated it better than I did.