chatty natty

Our squealing, squeaking, cooing, razzing baby has developed even more of a vocabulary over the past two weeks. Added to her repertoire now are several consonant sounds and lots of different combinations of vocalizations. We liked to think she was babbling a couple of months ago, but, boy, were we ever wrong. THIS is babbling.

A conversation (well, monologue) with Natalie generally goes something like this:

"YA YA YA YA YA YA YAAAAAAA! ::Blows raspberries:: Hiiiiiiiii Ahhhhhh LA LA LA LA DA DA RA RA RA RA RA RA ::Blows raspberries:: ::Squeals at top of lungs:: Ya ya ya ya ya ya ya Wowwwwwww Hiiiiiiiii RA RA LA LA LA YA YA YA YA YA YA YA."

It. Is. Awesome.

I've even heard her make a little Ma Ma Ma Ma babble on a couple of occasions, though it seems she'll be following the typical baby babble route and will be saying Da Da first.

I love to think about what she is trying to communicate when she takes off on these intense chatty rants. When we go for walks she is especially vocal, and I imagine she is either trying to describe what she is seeing, or is saying hello to all the passing scenery, or is just so excited about being outside that she can't help but talk her head off in glee. Mike has been on top of encouraging her newfound baby talk, and is always pointing things out to her and repeating words slowly for her to hear and try to mimic. Our family walks have much less grown-up conversation these days and much more "WHITE HOUSE..... BLACK DOG... DOG.... The DOG says RUFF....," etc. I'm sure people we pass by as we walk think we are nutso.

She loves to wait until her mouth is good and wet, either after her bottle or in the bath tub or after sucking on a frozen wash cloth, and really let the raspberries rip. It's hilarious to watch her slobber all over herself so happily while she makes these super loud razzing noises.

Hearing her make all this noise so animatedly is, I think, a preview of what is to come--the girl has a lot to say, and once she starts talking I think we're going to get an earful.