Lydia Log: Talking, Talking To Boys

As a first time parent, I'm not really clear on the normal, expected time line for many of the lesser milestones in a child's development. For example: Lydia has recently begun to identify and recite parts of the alphabet and can count to at least three (mind you, with some parental prompting). All this, and she is barely scratching 20 months old. Is she MENSA material? Is she freakishly intelligent - like Doogie Howser (MD) or this kid? Oh, if only there was some sort of reference material readily available to me, such that I could carry out this research myself - but alas there is not so I'll just wonder aloud, left to languish blissfully in my hopeful uncertainty. Sigh.

In other, less stunning (frankly) news, Lydia is expanding her vocabulary almost daily, and is finally starting to repeat the words we've been encouraging her to learn for a good 19 months now. Every so often, she'll just blurt out a new word, seemingly from out of nowhere but well within the context of the situation or discussion in the room. "Door", "run", "go", "tea time", "sky", "wet", etc. She may also be inventing words, or channeling, because a few statements have been incorporated into her arsenal that have us pretty confused - see "neeeee daaap"? "deefp"?

New rules for Mom and Dad: (i) roll with it, (ii) watch what you say...

The other recent, rather entertaining development worth noting is Lydia's burgeoning flirtatiousness, which is cute now but will have to be curbed sometime before junior high. It is really cute, and really shameless. Last night my parents were over, along with my sister, her boyfriend and his kids - including a 9-year old boy named Cole. Well, Lydia followed Cole around the house like a puppy, only to giggle shyly and bury her face into her mother's knees if he so much as turned to address her. She immediately bounced up onto the couch next to him, spurning requests from her mother, grandmother and aunt in the process. And then before bed, she actually made kissy faces at him. Even this morning, she giggled at the mere mention of his name. That he could reasonably be part of our family was of immediate concern to my mother; that she was flirting at 20 months was more concerning to me.

See above new rule (i) - roll with it.