Explosion

Hello again!

If you were thinking that the title of this post refers to the state of our new place, you are not too far off! We just moved in last Thursday and there are still a few doors that we keep shut so that we don't have to witness the disaster.


But this post is actually just a jot and tittle to journal a different kind of explosion in our home: a language explosion.

I have always associated language explosions with 2 year olds, but at 15 months Gigi is taking off. It is so fun to hear her mimic the words we say, and give her own spin to verbal language. This is what we have heard so far. She will often parrot words we say, but I have only listed the ones we have heard repeatedly and in context.

In Portuguese...

Papai: Daddy
Mamãe: Mommy
Mais: more
Nariz: ("Na-NI!) nose
Agua: ("A-ua") water
Acabou: ("A-ba-bo!") all done, finished
Lua: moon
Luz: light

Achou!: found! (the Brazilian version of peek-a-boo)

In English...

Bye-bye
Hi
Yay!
No
Hot
Up
Wow
Banana ("Nana")
Thank you ("Ta-ku")
Wow-wow
Amen!
Babas (Mama's boobies)

In American Sign Language...

Milk
More
All done
Thank you
Dog

Things she understands:

Piko (Hawaiian for bellybutton)
Senta (Portuguese for sit down)
Da pra...: give this to...
Dance, Danca
Tutu (Hawaiian for grandma - my mom)

Things Marcos thinks she understands:

Nappy (what we call her diapers)
Blankie
Cadê (Portuguese for "where?")
Olha (Portuguese for "look")
Venha (Portuguese for "come")
Lá fora (Portuguese for "outside")

So, at the expense of some early confusion, we have started with both English and Portuguese at home. I find that my Portuguese level at this point still exceeds Giovanna's (not for long, I'm sure), so I catch myself speaking Portuguese with her more than English. Hmm. I didn't plan for that.

And the only downside to this language acquisition?

With language comes rudimentary thought
With thought comes opinions
With opinions comes preferences
With preference comes disappointment
With disappointment comes some rather unhappy toddler behavior...