Today I heard it come out of my daughter's mouth for the very first time directed right at me. She looked at her cousin F, pointed right at me and said it, Mommy. Purposeful, and clear as a bell. F. gasped and fought to hold back tears. Mine were already filling my eyes joyfully.
I've been putting off this post for a little while because well, frankly, I'm a little embarrassed. It seems like at some point when I wasn't looking or paying attention, Grace started to speak. I don't really know how or when it happened exactly. It just seemed to float into our daily life. She started with the word no (like so many babies before her!!LOL) and then progressed to "okay" and "hello". And somehow it all happened so gradually that I was barely aware of it. I've been waiting so long for her to speak, I was expecting this big "event." I wanted to make a big post about it, big news, in bold letters, SHE SPEAKS, because for those of you who know Grace and I personally, you know just how frustrating her lack of speech has been for me, how the grunting that she still does as her main source of communication, has been like nails on a chalkboard to me for more than six months now. I know she could speak if she wanted to, I've heard her make all the sounds. But for whatever reason her little head has decided, she does not want to speak yet. And I'm trying to be ok with that but yes, it's been hard being a mind reader, trying to decipher what each grunt means, whether it's "I want more banana, I want down, I want up, I like it, I don't like it." So today was a breakthrough. She called me mommy. And she meant me. I'm her mommy and she knows it and now she wants to acknowledge it. And so begins another chapter in my Grace-full life.
5 comments:
Beautiful!
Hi Suzanne,
I TOTALLY get the "mommy" post. What music to our ears when our child finally say that word, but mostly you feel that they mean it. It was like my daughter's first kiss!! That marked my life forever - February 26, 2007!!! I still remember the date. She kissed me many time before, but that one, on that February morning, was not asked for, not planned, and not expected. She just jumped on me and willingly gave me a first - of very many - kiss. I remember having tears in my eyes - and still do writing about it. Thank you for bringing back so many memories when I read your posts.
I understand the frustration that her "grunting" has brought you, but she is just two. When I got my daughter, she was 19 months, so we managed with many unknow sounds for a while. It all comes together and when they start talking - OH MY - they never stop!!! You know the saying "be careful what you wish for"? My mom told me that one day when she was about 3 and wouldn't stop talking - and you cannot tell them to "stop"... it was too funny. So in one year from now, you will probably remember this post one lazy/tired morning when you just need a break from the "chatter box"!!! LOL
Thanks for the memories!!!
Diane (mom to LJ)
Susanne I'm so happy for you!! I know you've been waiting for this for long time and how difficult the wait has been!!
I'm thrilled for both of you! Congratulations!!!
YAAAAAY! Congrats, that must be a wonderful feeling :) KG
It was pretty great!!! Let's just hope it is the beginning of many new words to come!
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