My ears are so tired (also a belated apology)

Once upon a time when Belle was an infant, Derek was soaking up her cuteness and commented, "I can't wait until she can start talking!" I knew what he was getting at-- Jackson really started talking while Derek was away at AIT and so he missed out on that fun stage, but I still remember thinking that he'd probably eat those words someday. 

 You've heard this old adage before, right?

When we picked Julie up at the airport a few weeks ago, she was so impressed on how much Belle had grown and that she was talking. It was only two days later when Julie spent the duration of the 40 minute drive home from my parents house with her hands over her ears trying her best to drown out the noise.

Both of my kids talk. A lot. Jackson has always been a good talker. I sort of worried that my second wouldn't be as much of a talker she wouldn't have as much of an opportunity to talk. However, that's simply not the case. In fact, my kids constantly fight over whose turn it is to talk. They talk to me, they talk to strangers, they talk to everybody. In fact, Jackson said one day, "just going to talk to myself!" when I told him that my ears were tired {which is something my mother finds great humor because I apparently said that myself...}.

I don't know if I can say that either of my kids talk more than the other, but Belle's incessant talking brings on the most attention. She talks so much that people actually approach me to comment that she talks a lot when we are out and about. This happens at least twice a week. In fact, at her two-year checkup, her doctor actually had to recheck the chart to see if it was the two or three year appointment. 

Driving time is the worst as there is no escape. It does no good to say to Belle, "we need to take a break from talking," Then she'll cry and say, "I just want to talk," which leads to an entire monologue about how much she wants to talk. She'll whine and repeatedly ask, "Can I talk now?" Turns out, it is really just best to let her jibber-jabber away. Or sometimes, I'll just turn the music up. 

My ears are tired. So, so tired, especially now that I am home full time again with the kids. But, it's not just me. My brother once made a decision tree that pretty much sums it all up. 

Anyone who actually knows me in real life is probably thinking this entire post is like the pot calling the kettle black. But there are TWO of these little talkers and only one of me. Also, I'd like to apologize to those whose ears I once made tired (Derek not included, because he knew what he was getting into). 

Of course with all of the talking that they do, my kids say super sweet and/or funny things. Here's a few from this week:

• Jackson: Mom I love you the most. And I'll love you even after you're dead.... and if you're dead, you won't yell at me anymore.
• Belle: "alligator" = elevator, "soup case" = suit case
• Jackson: You need to see the doctor so that you can be adopted.
• Belle: She loves to tell secrets, and my favorite is when she leans in and whispers so quietly in my ear, "I love you most."
• Jackson: I am so starving, I'm starving up to God!

Conversations with Belle

It was a month ago that I posted about Belle’s first words. She is increasing her vocabulary almost daily and it’s cute. However, she has a favorite word… “no”. This is how our many daily conversations go:




If I ask if she wants a bite, she will say “no” yet open her mouth. Likewise to wanting to be held, holding her baby, wanting a drink etc.

Once “no” became a favorite part of her vocabulary, Derek and I have tried to be diligent to avoid using that word as much as possible. Unfortunately, big brother isn’t on board. He will walk up to her and say, “no!” and then Belle follows through with a chorus of “no’s” and then Jackson tattles… OR… When Belle says “no” over and over {which is often how she talks to herself} Jackson will say “yes”. And a shouting match erupts between the two, most often in the van, of “yes’s and no’s'”. Bring on the sibling fighting. Ugh.

I’ve been mostly trying to ignore this little phase. But if I never hear the word “no” from her little mouth, I’d be okay. She sure is a cute little thing though, isn’t she? {And at least I have proof that she denied parental financial support for her college education.}

First Words

I haven’t done a milestone post on Belle for a long time! I keep meaning to, but I never get it from my mind to my computer. And now, she’s grown so much that it’s too overwhelming to break it down into a specifics, but it basically comes down to this: she’s progressing normally. {If that doesn’t shout, “second child neglect” I don’t know what does. Sorry Belle!}

Belle has turned into quite the little chatterbox. {I really don’t know where she gets it!} Not only does she just babble incessantly, but she has several words that she uses that have meaning.

• Daddy {da-DEEEE}
• Na-nee {that’s me!}
• Uh-oh {uh-ooooooh}
• All done
• Up
• Shoes {choos}
• Dee-Dee {Baby, which can refer to baby doll or her sock monkey}
• Papa
• Hi-ya
• Pop Pop Pop {when we play with bubbles}
• Thank You {Tank too}
• No {which can be either “no” or “nose”}
• Aggh {some sort of roaring sound that she uses for all animals}
• Cheese {whenever she sees me with my camera}
• Night, night {Ni-Ni}

Those words, she uses on her own. These next words are words that she can say when ask and she feels like cooperating.

• Mama {she can say Mama, but she just doesn’t call me Mama}
• Drink {dink}
• More {mo}
• Aunt Laura {Wa Wa}
• Aunt Ashley {A-she}

She can actually say any word she wants, in terms of ability. She’ll repeat things sometimes that are crystal clear and then she won’t ever say it again. She likes to talk when you are talking. So when I stop to let her talk, she’ll talk. And then when I talk again, she joins in. And it keeps going that way.
This is a clip of what it’s like when Belle wants to talk while you’re talking. "{We were playing Catchphrase}. This clip is 7 seconds… but this is what I hear, like all day.  Noisy girl!

Isn’t this girl such a cutie!?