March 18, 2006: Talking, Imagining and Even More Talking

I thought it would be best to take a few minutes to talk about everything that's been going on in Veronika's life before we're all consumed by baby mania. I've been planning a post about her for three months now. At the end of every day, I think of something cool that she did or said and mentally add it to my list to post about it, but that list quickly became so overwhelming that it paralyzed me. But no longer! I have accepted the fact that there is no way for me to communicate everything awesome about her, that's something that just has to be experienced first-hand. So, two things, then:

1) Veronika has the most active imagination. She is constantly involved in some kind of pretend play and she can keep herself busy for hours with it. At first I felt bad because I thought she was only doing it because I wasn't entertaining enough, but eventually I realized that she loves it, even needs it. Her play partners fall into three main categories: dolls and stuffed animals that she has (of which Maya is her favorite), her imaginary friends (usually characters from Cinderella or the like), and her real friends that inconveniently aren't around at the time (like her friend Drew or many of her relatives). When she's in the middle of a pretend scenario, she gets totally immersed in it, moving pretend things back and forth, giving out instructions (with her finger to her mouth, "Shhh, Drew! We're praying!"), making plans ("You want to sit in the stroller? Okaaay."), and carrying out routines (like gently putting Maya to bed every night). She gets upset if she notices that we're watching her playing or if we interfere in some way, which has made it pretty difficult to either film or photograph. From what I hear, this is how Dinka was as a child, so it's cool to see that coming out in her.

2) This kid can talk. There are very few quiet moments in a day, especially when she's in a good mood. In January, she started skillfully imitating what we say to Digby and her and emulating the inflection in our voices to great comedic effect. Like so:

• When Digby's barking: "Digby, quiet!" or "What is it? Nothing, Digby, nothing."
• When Digby comes to the door on our arrival: "Diiiigby, Diiiigby, I love you, I missed you. You're a good booooy..."
• At the dinner table: "Want some soup, Papa? Good job, Papa."
• Translating: "Papa says ____, Mama says ____." She is almost always accurate with this, to my amazement, but sometimes it's a little funny: "Mama says gacksi, Papa says pooping."
• Expressing approval when I ask to do something: "Of course you can" or "Sure."
• When we call her: "IIIII'm coming" or "I'm cooooming, I'm coooming", both with an exasperated tone.

But in the last couple of weeks, her verbal abilities have been advancing at an astounding rate. Instead of just expressing the necessary parts of a sentence (like "Sit up?" when wants to sit up), she adds all the other pieces together to form a complete sentence ("Can I sit up now?"). This is occasionally startling, to hear such advanced language from a child that was recently not capable of it. I have to be careful to answer in the form that she expects or can at least relate, or she'll get frustrated, like so:

• Veronika: "Are you going to work, Papa?"
• Papa: "I'm all done working."
• Veronika: "No. Are you going to work, Papa?"
• Papa: "No, I'm all done working."
• Veronika: (wagging finger, speaking deliberately) "No, Papa. Are... you... going... to... work?"

Her German is also coming along well (according to me, which probably doesn't mean much) but her conjugation sometimes crosses the language border, especially since she's been speaking more German with Baka around. For instance, when I came home the other day, she told me, "Cinderella ge-watched!"

Finally, and I know it hardly needs to be said, but it just keeps getting more and more fun to spend time with her. Since she's less dependent on naps and her home potty now, I can take her everywhere with me and spend long stretches of time with her. We go swimming and shopping and walking, and eat at restaurants and visit friends. She is such a cool person to do things with because she enjoys even the most mundane tasks (grocery shopping, etc.) so much that it lifts your spirits as well.

But you all should really experience it for herself. I defy you to spend a day with her and not smile as you recount the memories before drifting off to sleep.