First sentence

I think Anastasia said her first sentence today. We're on vacation in Quebec City, and as Matt was making breakfast this morning, she said, "Eggs! Plate! Bite."

Does that count as a sentence? It has a subject and a verb...sort of...

words

The other day Matt asked me how many words Anastasia says, and I didn't know. So I've decided to make a list. I'm putting them in three categories: words she only signs, words she only says verbally, and words she both says and signs. I'm counting signs she made up (like pointing to her head) as well as signs I taught her, because I figure, if she consistently uses it to mean the same thing, then that's language, right?

And I'm counting animal sounds as words. She uses them to refer to the animals, so, well, again...that's language in my book. But I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting some animal sounds--she says a lot.

Words She Says Verbally:
* mama, mommy
* dada, daddy
* there
* that
* all right
* uh-oh
* mm-mm!
* bikes (her latest new word)
* back (while patting my back)
* baby
* ice
* rabbit
* moo
* vroom
* wooah wooah wooah (the whispering sound that a butterfly makes, according to Dr. Seuss)
* arf arf
* meow
* roar
* quack quack
* the sound a fish makes (kind of a pop pop pop with her lips)
* Ana (as in her name! Yes, this is a new one!)

Words She Both Says and Signs:
* hi
* bye
* milk
* shoes
* belly button (she actually says "belly" while pointing to her belly button)
* eye
* potty
* no

Words She Signs (or points consistently):
* more
* give me that (we also use that sign for please)
* open the door (by knocking on it)
* finished
* food
* helmet/hat
* head
* hair
* bum
* mouth
* nose
* tongue
* teeth
* hands
* feet
* bear
* helicopter
* elephant

Words She Sings:
* moon. Every time we see the moon, we sing "Mr. Moon," so Anastasia has started doing this too. She sings a few bars whenever she sees it or it's mentioned.

babbling, yes, but...is this possible?

Is it possible for a five month old to already be talking? 

Most people would probably say no. I would have a month ago. But now...I'm not sure. I think Anastasia might be talking.

The frustrating thing is that it happened so gradually, I don't even know when it started.

It was a couple of days ago...last Saturday, maybe...when she was babbling while Matt was playing with her. She's only just started moving her lips when she babbles--it used to be all "mms" and "aahs," but lately she's started to make consonant sounds as well. So Matt, naturally, started encouraging her to say daddy.

"Dada," he urged, laughing as she cooed at him. "Say, 'dada.' Da-da. Yeah, Da-da."

"Da-da," repeated Anastasia, and laughed.

"Right! Dada!" Matt was thrilled.

"Dada." She giggled again.

"You said dada!"

I couldn't take it anymore. I was supposed to be napping, but I jumped up and ran into the room. Matt turned to me in excitement. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes!" I shrieked. "Did she really say that? She said dada!"

Anastasia smiled. "Begalumana," she agreed.

"Mama," I said to her. "Say, 'mama.'"

She just looked at me and smiled, and reached up her arms to be held.

But later that night, when Matt was getting her ready for bed, she started crying, and her wail took on a definite shape. "Maaaaaaaa-maaaaaaaaaaaa!" she cried. "Maaaaaaaaaaaaa-maaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Was she calling for me? I jumped up and rushed into the room.

"Mama?" I asked her. "Did you say mama? Do you want mama?"

She spotted me, and immediately her crying stopped. She smiled up at me.

"Mama! Say 'mama'!" I urged her. "Here's mama!"

"Aaaaaaah," was Anastasia's only answer, which, in this case, definitely meant "I want to go to sleep now."

So what do you think? Is she talking?