Dear Vivian {Month 20}

20 months? Can't be! Are you sure...?

Well, I just did the math and it's true. You're 20 months old today, sweet love bug.

I was singing the Color Song to make you smile and you signed "red." You're a cutie.

You're a fun girl, Vivian. You are getting really verbal. You work so hard as you learn more about listening and talking everyday. It's a really special time in your young life. Your favorite thing to say lately is "Up, up," while grabbing my hands and pulling yourself up to stand with some help from me. A month ago, your "up" sounded more like "ut," but over the month has refined itself to a clear /p/ sound. And when you say "Up," you mean it - you want to be standing at the sofa (where you play and cruise) or at the play table your friend lent you (dancing to the Jamaican music) or at the sliding glass door (peeling off the vinyl window decals). Occasionally you throw yourself back "trust fall" style, with a big smile on your face. So I'm never too far away - as in: my hand hovers near your back constantly. You got glasses this month and you are very clear in your disdain of them - that session of boot camp has not started yet. New ASL signs this month: snail, red, blue, jump, surprise, on, light, farm, wind, rain, green, purple, peach, worm, dance, points to neck and cheek. Expressive language now includes: mama, dada, up and approximations of all done (all duh), baby (baba), banana (nana), bye bye (bu bu + wave), dog (wu wu +ASL sign), sheep (baa), milk (mu + ASL sign), bath, ball (ba + ASL sign), hi (we think - it sounds like "ahn") and apple (ap or ap-l [twice with the /l/] + ASL sign). You say "la la" a lot in reference to friends you love and butterflies - I'm still trying to figure out exactly what "la la" is - I like to think it's love. I "la la la" you.

9 minutes {April 9, 2009 5:20 PM}

Nananana. You scoot over with a book, clearly asking to be read to. I read you the book. We talk about the yellow sun - you sign yellow and say something that sounds like "le lo" - wow - those are new sounds! You point to the butterfly, sign it and say "la la."

After we talk through the book, you start at the beginning and turn the pages too fast for me to read. You stop on the cat page for a while, though.

"Up, up." You reach for my hands and stand up with some help. You stand at the couch, play with my bag of empty cinnamon bear wrappers (I finally found a source and allow myself to buy 9 on the 9th). You drop it on the ground, and grab the remote, pressing some buttons. You get a little wobbly, but I'm right at your side and help stabalize you.

You pick up the eyeglasses case. I say "ring, ring!" like a telephone and you put it to your ear and start talking.

You cruise two big steps toward me, then pivot to me and give me a hug (you're tired - you didn't really have a nap today - we were too on the go). You pivot back to the sofa, say "ba ba," reach for baby Beyonce and then the timer rings.

9 minutes are up.