Number 2

Elspeth (sometimes we call her number 2) is at that stage where she surprises me by her development. You see, even though she is 1.69 years old (I just love putting it in decimal format instead of "20 months"), in many ways I still expect her to act like a baby. I mean, she still sleeps in a crib, she isn't potty trained yet, she still drinks a bottle of milk (the cow variety) before she goes to bed, etc. But she is really starting to progress in terms of her vocabulary, her understanding of language and her ability to get subtle communication.

This morning, I was working in the office at the house. Elspeth runs in and says "daddy!" I turn around to say "hi" and she proudly proclaims to me "hair", and starts patting her head which is coiffed neatly. I then say, "your hair looks very nice", and she says "mommy." So I say "did mommy fix your hair?" She responded by nodding her head to the affirmative, then she ran back out of the room.

Of course, to you folks who don't have kids yet, that might seem like extremely basic communication. However, as anyone with kids can attest, for the first couple of years, communication with a child usually is limited to crying, guttural noises, whimpers, and screams. When they finally gain the use of a couple of words in their vocabulary, they tend to take on a universal meaning. For instance, "mommy" can mean anything from "hello" to "I'm mad because my socks are all twisted up and I really like watching that kitty chase after those leaves."

So, needless to say, I am enjoying being able to actually converse with number 2. I'm fairly confident that we understand each other most of the time.

This morning, she was pointing to a magnet we have on our refrigerator that has a picture of Spencer & Jacqueline Presley on it. (The Presley's work for the U.S. Center for World Mission in Pasadena, CA) Elise proceeded to tell her Spencer & Jacqueline's names and then she perfectly pronounced "Jacqueline." Wow. I'm not sure I correctly pronounced Jacqueline's name for the first couple of years that I knew her.

So, anyway, I'm really enjoying the increased interaction and understanding that is beginning to happen as Elspeth grows up. Life sure is fun with 2 crazy girls running around the house...