Jason Griffey

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Originally uploaded by griffey

Just keeping up with Eliza’s increasing language acquisition is insane. The latest: Every night when her evening episode of Yo Gabba Gabba goes off (we watch it after dinner as a wind-down for bedtime), the DVR stops and she says “Uh oh!” Last night, it went off, she said “Uh oh!”, then paused and shrugged and said “Daddy fix it!”

Indeed, Daddy fix it.

She’s 15 months old. I’m scared of her at 2.

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She’s turning into Linus, which is something I always feared would happen.

The sacred pink blankie used to live only in her crib or be brought out for naptime at daycare. But now that she can say the word “blankie,” she can ask for it whenever she wants. Today, she demanded to take blankie and Minnie Mouse for a ride in the stroller. She went to her room, pointed to the crib and shouted “blankie!” I gave it to her. She then carried it into the living room, where the stroller was parked, and tapped it, saying “ride! Mommy…ride!” And so we went on a walk, despite the 58 degree temps. And then blankie stayed outside with us and got nice and dirty as she dragged it around the yard. When I protested, took it from her, and told her no, she FLIPPED OUT. Will she be one of those kids that has her blankie in the grocery store, on the playground, at the doctor’s office? Gah, I hope not. Well, at least it’s “blankie” and not “binky.” She has classmates at daycare who are much older than her who still suck on the “binky” all day long.

Me, I pick my battles.

IMG_7496, originally uploaded by griffey.

Poor Eliza ended up with a double ear infection, thanks to the RSV. This coincided with her first week in a new room at daycare. Needless to say, the transition hasn’t gone smoothly.

She seems to be missing her old classmates and teachers. She asks for a few of them by name every morning. And she isn’t sure about her new teacher, whose tone of voice is a little harsher (even to my ears). She’s also a little intimidated by the bigger, faster, more mobile kids.

She cries at drop off, and she cries a little bit throughout the day, although we hear she’s crying a little bit less than before. Who knows how long it will take her to get comfortable in her new surroundings. Eliza is bright and intuitive, which means she’s also quite sensitive (to change, to others’ feelings, to chaos). I am beginning to see glimpses of the special challenges involved in raising this kind of child. But I am also seeing the joy.

Eliza is simply mind-blowing. She can now say some of her numbers in the correct sequence. I was helping her climb the stairs, counting them as we go. I said “One…” and she said “two…” Flabbergasted, I continued: “Three…Four….Five…” and she said “Six…” I almost fell down the stairs. So I kept going: “Seven….eight….” and Eliza added “nine…” and I shouted TEN! And scooped her up and hugged her, amazed. I don’t know where she learned this. Wasn’t from us.