Understanding the language

Last night we were reading a book to Anne, and Heather and I like to make the sounds of the animals as we read it. Sheep, cows, cats and ducklings. She seems to really enjoy that. Just for kicks, I threw in "woof woof" although there was no dog. Anne immediately looked up at the patio window, where she sometimes watches the next door dog, Tiger. Heather and I both exclaimed and were delighted.

This is but the newest observation we have made in a long line of little discoveries concerning Anne's grasp of communication. For a while now, Anne has recognized the word "duck" or "quack" and will actually look for her baby duck if we ask where he is. Even if the duck is hidden in Anne's favorite cubby hole, a little storage area in her "musical table". Anne seems to recognize "mom/mommy" and "dad/daddy" as well. Anne has recently started saying "Nn na na na", and we think she is saying "no no no" - Heather noticed that she says that when she gets close to some place where she is not supposed to be, or touch something she is not supposed to.

Her favorite form of expressing her desires is to point and grunt "eh". We are trying to teach her various nouns and repeat them often, so hopefully she is soaking it in, even though she has not given us the pleasure of saying quite what she wants, yet. =) I know, that time is coming soon.

Heather and I are gearing up for Anne's First Birthday party in a few short weeks. What will she be saying by then?