Dear H,
You’re 18 months old and pretty much mimicking anything we say, which is stupidly cute – but obviously means me and your mum need to make sure we’re not saying anything we don’t want you repeating on loop at daycare. My Dad had you walking around saying Dropkick in the weekend (rugby reference, hopefully).
We talked and read a lot to you before you made your grand entrance at the hospital, it seemed strange reading to your mum’s stomach (I’m sure it looked even stranger). But I’d like to think thats got something to do with how much you love reading and talking now – but like my Mum said, it could just as easily be that it’s just who you are.
“The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein
These aren’t quite your first words, but definitely some of the cutest things you’ve said so far as you learn to make things move with the power of your words. (Aside from the fact you refused to say “I love you daddy” but told us how much you love everything else from Elmer the Elephant, to our cat Ari Gold)
When you’re reading this think about how far your language has come since the day you were sitting in that old green high chair or your car seat, and remember improvements and learning don’t stop once you’re old enough to hold a conversation. I’m in my 30s now and I’m still learning how to give my words more power and how to use them more effectively in every setting. Whatever you do and wherever you are – the words you choose make a difference, so keep playing with them. Keep giving them power, and keep figuring out new ways to let your words do the work they’re capable of.
Love you
Dad
Cute things you’re saying at the moment:
“I gotcha daddy, I gotcha”
When I pick you up to lift you somewhere or when I’m carrying you because your little legs have been running around re-arranging the world all day, you hold on tight and say “I gotcha Daddy, I gotcha”. My first response was (laughing) “nah I got you bubba” but really you’re right, you got me – cause even on the most stressful, busiest days – you’re there to get my priorities right and put things in context. Is that thing I’ve been stressing about all afternoon going to matter in 3 and a bit years when I’m taking you to your first day at school? Nope!
“Blanket comes”
When we’re going anywhere and you want whatever you’re carrying to come along for the trip it’s “Blanket comes”, “Yellow cup comes” etc. This cracks me up overtime because it’s not a request, it’s an instruction – even if you’re going to day-care and you know there’s no way your blanket, cup, gorilla, or empty USB box is coming with you, you still have a go at ordering it to follow you along, just in case today’s different.
“Eggy moon”
That’s what you call this light in my studio – I guess it does look like a cross between the moon and your favourite breakfast, lunch, or dinner food; “eggy eggy eggy”
“Gimme gimme gimme”
Not sure where you picked this one up from but we’re trying to swap it out of your vocab with a good old fashioned Please.
You’ve pretty much got it sorted when it comes to your body parts: and can even rattle them off in te reo now.