blog originally posted December 31,2007
My daughter Cianna is turning 3 on Valentine's Day...at her age now, she already knows her ABC's and the things associated with them, like A is for apple up to Z is for zebra..she also knows the numbers from 1 to 10 but still working to reach 13..she knows almost all the colors and can identify them even in varying shades...as for shapes, she's familiar with circle , squares and star... she can identify animals just by looking at pictures or drawings...she knows the name of her body parts or her personal things...she can also combine each of these...like "green circle" or " red socks", "pink hat", " orange dede" and so on..
Cianna is a very smart and sweet little girl..she can operate the TV and DVD player all by herself, she knows how to use the mouse and turn off my PC, she knows things around the house, what they are used for, or which one she can touch or not use..like the stove, the vaccum and etc...she associates things with who is using it usually..like the kitchen utensils are for "daddy" and the washing machine and make-up is "mommy"..hehehe...she knows what are Mom's things and what's mine...and she will get angry when she finds me using what is not mine...
But until now she still is not talking straight...she cannot form even a good, four-word sentence...she mumbles a lot that only me and her mom can understand the words coming from her mouth..
It was a cause of concern for me and my wife...especially when we compare her language skills to her sisters when they were at the same age...but our personal research...plus consultations with doctors, friends and my own experience with her brother just prove that not all kids are developing in the same pace... there may be delays here and there, but it is completely normal....
Aside from knowing familiar identification words like Daddy and Mommy..or Ate..and Tita....Cianna uses simple words, most of the time with hand or body gestures, to say what she wants, like:
dede= her milk bottle
go = if she wants something right away..like "daddy..dede..go.."
s'op, sa'li (sandali), wait = complete with hand stop signal, if she wants you to wait or to stop
come = to call your attention
no or 'yoko = obviously...when she dont feel like it
wash, di'ty = if she wants to go to the bathroom, or to wash hands when they get dirty, which is, always.
wash, ba-bu = if she has or wants to poo poo...
pah'persh = for her diapers
barney or tv = if she wants to watch....most of the time with the commanding GO...please see above..
and many more...
But even with her language delays, there is one incident that touched me the most and made me soooo proud of my little girl..
She got sick just a week before this Christmas..blame it on the weather...poor girl..
Anyway, one night when Mom's on duty and it was only me and her at home...she suddenly asked me to carry her and sat on my lap..I knew she must be feeling really bad..
so I told her " Come, lets get you your medicine"..
and she replied with her very weak voice..." Okay..Salamat"
Those were the sweetest words that almost melt my heart...
And as if those were not enough, the following night when Mom's at home already and we were about to sleep, Cianna threw up in bed...so me and my wife both got up and started cleaning the mess....
and Cianna, in between her sobbing and cries, kept saying...Sorry Daddy...Sorry Mommy...sorry...
THANK YOU and SORRY..aren't these just simple words that even adults have a hard time saying?
Things we can learn from a child..
Magical words that if all of us can practice saying everyday, the world might still be a better place to live in...
Think about it...
HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE...
