The Death of "Noah"

Amy, this goes out to you.

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"I want A cheesestick!"

"Okay, I have Mickey Mouse cheese slices. Do you want those?" (Sold at Walmart. By Sargento. Cheaper than cheese cubes by Kraft. Heaven to a Disney loving toddler.) (I just realized that sounded like an ad. Nope, not paid for it. Just really happy to spend less money on making the kid happy at snack time.)

"Yes! And Clacklers" (crackers)

"You got it."

"In a cup!"

"Okay, in a- wait, what?" I peered over the open refrigerator door to where Sprite was sitting (wrongly) on the couch, peering back over to me from her (wrong) position. 

"In a cup, cheese and clacklers, please." She smiled, proud to remember her manners.  (Which still needs reminders most of the time.)

She asked for a cup. A cup.

What happened to "noah"?

Ever since Sprite was able to assign labels to objects, any cup has been called a "noah". We've never been able to relate the term to anything tangible and I've even turned to you all for help on this site when the restrictions of my own mind stopped offering solutions to the puzzle.

As I assembled her snack, I realized it HAD been a while since I had heard the term "noah" used. While she is almost three, she still uses some "toddlerese" or "Sprite Talk" for certain things, although "noah" was her most notorious.

In fact, in the last few months, her vocabulary and speech patterns have changed drastically. John and I used to stand as the official interpretors of Sprite's World, but our position is more of a honorary title these days. Where her demands centered around a noun awash in a sea of jibber-jabber, she now adds verbs and adjectives. Sure, she's still a grammar teacher's nightmare, but at least the grammar teacher would now know what to correct, not just stand there and look to me for a general direction. 

She really surprised us when we were buckling her into her car seat to end our Halloween night. After enjoying herself immensely, she called out to her best friend who was being strapped into her own car seat in the parking spot next to us. "Bye bye, Kayla! See you next Monday!" 

John and I looked at each other in shock and asked "Did you tell her to say that?" in unison as Kayla's mom called over incredulously, "What did she just say?"

No one had prompted it. She just said it. 

I'm not sure where she stands in the spectrum of speech, if she's ahead or behind. I hope she's average since being behind would bring on a whole nother slew of worries (over my already overflowing cup of concern) and being ahead means I have to bone up on my rebuttals sooner for when she comes at me with a new scheme.

John says her leaps in la language are because I talk to her like an adult. (Sometimes. I'm as guilty as others for getting "pitchy" when I'm trying to drum up excitement about taking a nap or going to bed.) I would have to say it's more due to her day care. The majority of kids in her class speak this way, which is why I tend to drop Sprite's verbal talents into the average category. (Which I'm more than okay with.) 

Still, with her changes in height, weight, and volume (Yup, that goes up too..), she's abandoning the last remnants of the toddler days in preparation for the preschooler phase. 

I always thought I would be ecstatic when she stopped saying "noah", knowing she was ready to join Webster's Approved World of Words. I wouldn't miss the words like "noah", "batty" (butterfly), and "Sleeping Doody".

I was wrong.

Comments

[Rachel]

Awwwwwww, I totally understand! You're happy that she's a big girl, but where did your baybeeeeeeee go?

[Casey]

I know, it's so sad to see them growing up. And happy too since pretty soon, they can help with the dishes and laundry. And mow the lawn and clean the pool. What? They have to earn their keep.

Graham's doing the same thing.. it's weird to see him sit and converse with kids his age, without any prompting or translation from us. And the other day, he walked up to a lady with a baby and said "Oh, I LOVE your baby, he's so WONDERFUL!!!!". My jaw hit the floor since wonderful isn't an adjective I use to describe anything. Heh.

[WickedStepMom]

I miss my youngest calling airplanes skies... ::sniff::

[Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings]

It is amazing when they start really talking, isn't it? And yes, then you miss the words they used to use. I think Jonathan is a little behind actually. . . he is more interested in doing than talking. but then some days he just comes out with things I didn't even know he could say.

[Jan]

Yup, one day they're calling strawberry-flavored milk "pink chocolate milk" and the next day they're demanding you pick up Mt. Dew, Axe Body Wash and Clearasil at the grocery store. Or telling you they're moving to Las Vegas with their boyfriend. Or making you grandparents.

Seriously, though, they change SO much the first five years; she's going to amaze you between now and kindergarten.

Which she'll be starting next month...or so it will seem.

[mrsbear]

Aw, it seems like it happens so suddenly. I've been amazed lately too and some of the stuff my youngest is managing to convey, it's incredible how they just internalize definitions and sentence structure without you even noticing. Yesterday after pouting for about five minutes when I denied him some cinnamon mints, he said, "I mad at you because you said the mints were too spicy for me." Well, I guess most of the guessing is over. Make room for the threes.

[Michele]

I remember when our oldest boy stopped using all those cute words he made up for things. Sad indeed.

[Maureen@IslandRoar]

Aw, I remember! My now 22 year old boy called his pacifier his "fabah;" we could Never figure that one out. He called Tylenol his "meanies," and that one stuck thru all 3 kids. We still use it when they're sick to make them smile: "Want some meanies to make you feel better?"
She sounds right on target in her speech. Just a little ahead of herself in the Cute-as-a-Button department...

[Ellie Belen]

Wait, just wait a little longer and she will be talking non-stop every waking moment, asking question after question until the only voice in your head will be hers and you will then miss the stage that made you miss the stage before. Just saying.

[Heather]

As babies we do the whole momma and dada thing to get them to talk. I was thrilled to death when my grandson first said Nana. Now it is like "Boy, slow down and breathe between your questions?" I miss the words, that took me so long to figure out..like..."Utter (butterfly)" and "Uck (truck)".

[bessie.viola]

Oh, my heart is breaking. These days are so fleeting, aren't they?

Madeline recently abandoned the term "Melmo" for the perfectly-pronounced "Elmo."

I miss Melmo.

[Sprite's Keeper]

@Ellie, she already is. One of her things right now is to narrate movies and books. I read her a book last night and then left her to settle down for sleep. I could hear her on the monitor for a good half hour "reading" to her Minnie Mouse doll. It was 80% cute, 20% irritating since it made it difficult for me to concentrate on my show. :-)

[jenni]

oh, SNIFF! she is most certainly growing up.

[Erin@TheLocals Love It]

Aww. I completely relate. We're in that stage right now too. I'm amazed each day at the transformation. For the longest time a sprinkler was a Dicusher. Just this am I said, "Do you want some yogurt for breakfast?" to which he replied. "No, Sausage like I already told you." Little shit.

[Susan]

"Bye Noah"! It was nice getting to know you these last few years even thou we had no idea where you came from. Thou Sprite might not think about you too much anymore I am sure you will always remian in our hearts!!

Jen-I think Sleeping Doody will be around a couple of more years at least!!

[Laufa]

It so good to write/read about our kids verbal changes. They make for funny weekends at our house.

[Nel]

Awww, that is too precious. I wonder where she got "Noah."

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

Awwww! That is a bittersweet moment when they start abandoning their own unique way of talking. I still miss Princess Nagger referring to a bathing suit as a 'baby snoot'. :)

[Baba]

My little girl is growing up to fast.

[Mama Badger]

Hmmm, yup, you're ready for the next one. No more diapers, no more "noah". It's sad, though.

Thanks for giving credit to day care. I always think that LG is a little ahead of the curve because of what he learns at school, but it's good to hear someone else thinks day care can be positive, too!