Blabbermouth

I thought I'd post a list of Julie's communication skills. She understands almost everything we say to her. She's obedient to instructions (including throwing her own napkins/wipes in the trash after a meal), and responds well to spoken words. She talks all the time -- loves it. She doesn't, however, have very many words that she actually says. She talks but doesn't really speak, if that makes sense.

Words or phrases that Julie uses on a regular basis:

• More (mo?)
• All done/all gone (ah-dun) (applies to self or anyone else's plate within sight)
• Doggy (dah)
• Dots (dah) (the backing of a quilt my mom made for Julie is polka dots)
• Where is it?/Where'd it go? (whuh is uh?) (applies to objects or people)
• There it is! (uh-uh-uh, with the same intonation we use) (use when playing peek-a-boo or sometimes when not)
• Where's Julie? (whuh ju?)
• Water (war)
• Dance (daa) (usually in the car or when I turn on the radio or a new upbeat song comes on...she'll say it almost like a question and then move her shoulders side-to-side very un-rhythmically)
  

Words or phrases that Julie signs on a regular basis:

• Doggy (patting her leg) (anytime she sees or hears one)
• Kitty (a finger scratching her jawbone, like whiskers) (anytime she sees one)
• Fishie (moving her hand erratically like a swimming fish) (in reference to our fish in a tank or to goldfish crackers)
• All done/all gone (twisting open hands)
• More (touching fingertips from each hand together)
• Water (a W with fingers to the chin -- hers is rudimentary)
• Milk (squeezing a hand together as though milking a cow) (I saw her do this last weekend for the first time since I stopped breast-feeding her)
• Eat/food (touching fingertips to her mouth) (first thing when she wakes up in the morning and when she gets up from her nap)
• Daddy (touches base of hand to side of head)
  

Other gestures/sounds, though not necessarily actual signs or words:

• Elephant (raises one arm and makes a buzzing sound)
• Duckie (opens and closes hand like "quack quack," but hand faces up instead of out)
• Bee (presses fingers and thumb together and moves hand around erratically while buzzing)
• Lion (wah!)
• Monkey (touches hand to side of head and says "oh, oh")

I'm working on getting all the animals on video. She loves them, and it's so fun(ny) to watch her do them.