What's New Wednesday: Geckos!

I keep forgetting to mention that I got a new camera, and it's currently rivaling both the girl and the daddy for the position of love of my life. Okay, obviously I love my kid and my husband way more than my new camera, but have you noticed how clear and lovely my photos are now!? You can scarcely make out my lack of photography skills. It's wonderful! Anyway, this is supposed to be about Annabelle...

The past week has definitely been characterized by a huge leap in language development. Annabelle already had a few words and was becoming increasingly more adept at using sign language to communicate her needs, but suddenly she has shifted. In the past week, she started attempting to repeat words she hears and naming things like crazy. On Thursday night, I was holding her and she suddenly pointed behind me at the kitchen window and excitedly shouted, "Ge-go!" I turned around, and sure enough a gecko was crawling about on the glass. This is definitely the new favorite word. Others are cat and dog which are only subtly different. Really, a very similar consonant-vowel-consonant pattern refers to cats, dogs, and cars alike. Another is, well, poop, and she has been trying to say bellybutton as well. Mostly I just hear "bao-bu" as she points to hers or mine. As she was fiddling with something in the cabinet this afternoon, I heard a very clear, "Wow. Cool!" 

I have always admired the way Annabelle charms her way into the hearts of every adult she meets, just by being herself, but only this past week did I realize the power she has over people of all ages. She interrupted a game of ball between two boys down the street, about four and seven in age, and they actually let her take their ball away. When she gave it back for a spell and attempted to take it back, I suggested that we go home and get her ball, which she was happy to do. Instead of being relieved to have the ball-stealer gone, the boys followed us home and played ball with Annabelle in our driveway for the next hour or so, catching her little ball every time it rolled into the street and passing it back to her. I'm not sure whether this speaks more to the magnetic personality of Annabelle or the kindness of the boys in our neighborhood, but either way it was lovely to watch.

Sleep, EC, and other routines have been all over the place, due in part to a variety of factors I'm sure. We were without air conditioning for four days last week, then there were the fevers, and I realized today that there are also two new teeth trying to join the other six up top, so I'm not too surprised and I'm sure we'll be settled into another very temporary routine again in no time.

A few things the girl has been loving this week:

Still digging frozen blueberries in the morning.

CHOCOLATE. She loved these raw brownies.

She's all about climbing up slides, as are her buds.

That's about it for Annabelle this week, though you can also catch her in this week's Wordless Wednesday on the Natural Parents Network. What's the latest in your house? I would love to hear!