Words are important. As humans, we spend a majority of our day expressing ourselves through words. We share words with others, teach using words and get what we need by using words. Some might say the world revolves around words…One of the things I love about this age (19 months for anyone not keeping track) is the fact that Eden is starting to develop other ways to express herself than the standard shout, cry or laugh. She’s developing words. Actual words! That she uses in the correct context at the right time
We obviously knew that around now would be the time when she would start really talking – or at least when we could expect the start of her language development, but what I didn’t realise was exactly how much she would pick up and use over such a small amount of time.
Baby Centre tells us…
The vocabulary of a typical 19-month-old toddler may consist of as few as ten words or as many as 50. Yours may be able to link two or more words together, and is starting to use more “action” words. Verbs like “go” and “jump” are common, and so is linking a verb with her name (or pronoun), as in “Come me,” meaning “Come with me.” (It will be some months before she inserts the preposition.) Many 19-month-olds are also well-versed in direction words such as “up,” “down,” “under,” “out,” and “in.”
Eden is really doing well with her language. Some words she has been saying from really early on, such as “doggy”, “mama” and “mummy”. Nowadays the actual number of words that she is saying is pretty huge conmsidering that six months ago she barely had any words at all.
Here’s a short round up of her favourites…
People/Characters – Mummy, mama, Mickey, Minnie, Doc (McStuffins. Also known as “doo doo dooo”), Blaze, Paw Patrol (Raw Roll), Everest, Skye, Marshall (ars-all), She calls anyone from Moana “you’re welcome”, Elsa, Sofia, Masks (PJ Masks), Gekko – (Yes, we watch a lot of Disney Junior!)
Things – Hat, Juice, Water, Shoes, Nose, Eyes, Mouth, Feet, Toes, Ears, Hair, Head, Tree, Road, Floor, Door, Baby (which, hilariously, is any child. Whether or not they are older than her), Book, phone, toy, Milk, Bottle, Banana, Apple, Orange, cake (!!!), Yoghurt, Stairs , Ball, Buggy, Slide, bubble
Animals – Mouse, Duck, Birdie, Cat, Doggy, Moo Moo (that’s our dog, Misty), Loki (Our Other Dog), Amber (dog next door…), Puppy, Pig (which always comes with accompanying pig noise)
Descriptions – Pretty, Hot, Cold, Wet, Cute
Other – Thankyou, You’re Welcome, Hi, How Are You? (which is more like howyooooo), Bye, See You Soon (seeeshooooon), I sure, I OK, Help (usually shouted whilst getting strapped into the buggy), Night night (with accompanying snoring), Bounce, Walk, Get Out (of her buggy usually), Get Down (usually shouted at the dogs), No, Yes, I sit, I pooed, I peed, upstairs, downstairs, hey
When I write those down it is actually a LOT of words! I’m impressed with our little girl and how she seems to be soaking up the world around her. Being able to have conversations with her really helps us connect as well as to work out exactly what it is that she wants when she is upset or wants something. I also feel like she understands us a bit better when we speak with her now too and enjoy asking her things like “where is the duck?” and “can you see a birdie?” It’s all part of what I love about being a parent of a child Eden’s age.
I love that she can now voaclise the world around her, even if it does mean that she spends ten minutes shouting “HAT!!!” at a man on the train who was wearing a hat and trying his best to ignore her…
Papa, Eden & Me 
Language is so much fun, go Eden!