Language (mini)Explosion!

So I've always heard that toddlers experience a phenomenon commonly referred to as a "language explosion" around 18 months.  The theory is that they suddenly start using more words and repeating phrases more naturally, after months of one-word babbling.  I wouldnt say Whitney has had this amazing, overnight "language EXPLOSION", like the loud and sudden burst of a firework....but perhaps a language burst, like a fourth of July sparkler. Nothing MAJOR. No real sentences yet. But she is definitely proud of herself when she correctly repeats what we say. (Eric and I have each had the "be careful what you say around her now! She's copying every word we say!" conversation with each other at various points in the last week or so.)

The doctor told us at her 15 month appointment that kids usually start to put two words together when they reach 50 single words in their vocabulary.  Of course, I spent the next day jotting down every "word" that came out of Whitney's mouth. Sure enough...she had 60+.  So it was no surprise this week when Whitney started saying things like:
*Mommy, please!
*Up, Daddy!
*Run, Mommy! Run! Run! Run!
*more, please.
*milk, please.
*ham, please! (this one cracks me up. I asked Whitney what she wanted for lunch, never in a million years expecting a legitimate answer...and she pipes up "Ham, please!" without skipping a beat. Of course, the kid got her ham.)
*Hi, Minnie (Bailey, Mac, Nanny, Face (Faith), etc etc)
..and a few more I cant remember and am kicking myself for not writing down.
She has also started calling us "Mommy" and "Daddy", instead of the baby-fied "Mama" and "Dada".  Its cute, for sure. But it DOES make her sound older. :(

But I think our FAVORITE new addition to Whitney's vocabulary is definitely the "Love YOU!" she tosses as us as she leans in for a hug and kiss. :) THE. BEST. One day a looong time ago, Whitney would laugh hysterically when I leaned in to her high chair and said "I..............love..........................YOU!"  She thought it was belly-laugh funny. And now, whenever we say "I....", she follows it up quickly with "loove YOU!" Sure, it sounds like "Wufffff, YOU!", but still....we know what she means. And its incredibly heart warming to see her use words like "please" and "love" and "thanks" in the right context......even if they sound like "pwea" and "wuff" and "sants". :)

A cute video of Whitney's recent cuteness:

She is so proud of the word "Bass", she shouts it when she sees it in a book or on a piece of paper. So cute!
We count a LOT lately, too. :)

Whitney follows directions better than ever before, and loves when we applaud her good behavior.  She loves to make us proud, and really beams with happiness when she is praised for anything from saying her letters to petting Bailey nicely to finishing her dinner. She now leans in with her mouth puckered for a kiss, and says "MMmmmmmWAH!" when she gives kisses. LOVE that she does this withut solicitation, and when she is just feeling cuddly :)

Almost every time I lay Whitney down for a nap or bedtime I think "HOW did we get this lucky?" She gives us a hug and a kiss after prayers, takes her binky, cuddles bear blanket(s), and waves to us as we walk out the room, saying "nigh nigh" as we leave. Working at the daycare and hearing f to stroies of mommies and friends who battled bedtime and naptime every. single. day, really prepared me for the worst.  I expected tantrums and arguments and a battle of wills.  But nope. Whitney loves her crib and feels safe there, and she just falls happily into dreamland, only to wake up the next morning singing a song or calling each member of the family happily, "Mommmyyyy! Daddddyyyyy! Bay-yeeee! Hiiyeeeeeee!" Such a happy way to start our day :)

Another fabulous thing Eric taught Whitney....Whever we ask Whitney, "How are you today?!", she responds, "I'm GREAT!"  Im pretty sure she says it at the end of this video...sorry I didnt edit it, but its still cute.
(****I have no idea why this wont post of play...but its on our youtube page....***)



And this is from a month ago, but its still cute to see how much she misses her Daddy when he is at work. She thought she heard the garage door go up, a sure sign that Daddy is home.....