Emily's becoming quite a chatterbox as of late, though it isn't always easy to figure out what she's saying or in which language! She actually has quite a large English vocabulary which honestly surprises me because of course she only hears English from me. It seems to be that she chooses the shortest word from either language for any given object; for example: "eye" not ojo, or casco instead of "helmet".
She finally distinguishes (verbally) between Angelines (Mamá) and I (Mommy). For a very long time we were jointly Mamá...and really she said "mamá" to anyone who's attention she wanted. The carpenter, who was putting in a sliding door separating the living/dining room from the hall to make the house more heat efficient in winter, was surprised that she demanded his attention shouting, "Mamaaaa!" It wasn't until just about a month ago that one night when I got up to go to the bathroom she cried out, "Mommy!"...and my heart melted.
She loves "trators" (tractors), balls and "kuhlees" (her strange word for a motorcycle). She also loves rocks, the "mum" (moon) and "chis" (cheese). In Emily speak, "Bela" and "abuela" sound the same: "Bila". :) She's learning that if she says "peeeeez" she gets what she's asking for quite quickly, and she's also learning the power of a firm, "No!" She proudly states her name when asked: "Me" (I assume this is because I often call her Emmy). I love asking her, "Who are you?" and getting the simple, very matter-of-fact answer: "Me". I'm glad that my daughter feels comfortable in her own skin--She is her. ;)
Her mother is also cultivating a love of football (soccer, if you will), and more particularly a love of one of Seville's two major teams: Real Betis Balompie. Since she was just a tiny baby, Angelines has been teaching her that the rival team "Sevilla Fútbol Club" is "caca". Now that Emily can say more, she's working on "Goooooooool del Betis!!!" So far, all Em's got down is the "Goooooool!" part.
They say that babies process new experiences in their sleep, as I guess we adults do as well. Anyway, now that she's speaking more and learning new words daily, Emily has begun talking in her sleep...takes after her Mommy, I guess. She'll sometimes exclaim, "puppy, puppy" or "nena" ("kid" in Spanish). The other night I had to stiffle a laugh when she shouted, loud and clear: "ball, ball...GOAAAAAAALLLL!" :)
Maybe she'll be a soccer star.
