Linguistic Breakthrough!

I've been asking Claire rhetorical questions since before she was born (eg. "Are you trying to kick your way out through my ribcage?" and "Is it truly necessary to give Mommy this much heartburn?"), without really expecting much of a response. So this morning when she was fussing, I reflexively asked, "Do you want some cheese?" not really expecting a response.

Claire: Yeah

Me: (stunned) Did you say 'yeah'?

Claire: Yeah

Me: You want cheese?

Claire: Yeah

Me: Can you say cheese?

Claire: Yeah. (takes cheese, is happy)

Oh my cow! Claire is communicating.

We did infant sign with Mary Grace. It was much easier because we had arms back then. For the last 15 months we have constantly been holding one or the other of them, so we haven't really had two hands to demonstrate sign. I think she knows "more" but she doesn't use it with the frequency that Mary Grace did. We just haven't worked as hard at it with her as we did with MG. Consequently, we haven't been able to communicate with Claire as easily as we did with MG when she was very young. It has been frustrating. Claire is every bit as intelligent and as demanding as her sister, but has been less able to communicate her desires. She's been a point-and-grunter - gesturing at something and going, "eh, eh, eh!" (which, frankly, drives me insane, especially when 8 year olds do it).

Until today.

She's growing up so fast.