Kira speak

Mainly for posterity, I wanted to write down what Kira is saying these days. I'd say 75% of what she says is conversational babble - dispatches from Kira we call them - lots of syllables with plenty of hand gestures and facial expressions to get her message across. 25% is actual speech.

Her communication is probably split evenly three ways words/signs/word sign combos. I'm still teaching her new signs. It's usually easier for me to figure out that she's saying new words when she does the sign along with them.

The List (at 2 1/2 years):

Mommy
Daddy
Buh-Buh or "acks" for Jackson
Poppy
Da-Da (for NaNa)
Pap or Papaw or Pappy
De-De (for NeNe)
Ted

Bat (for Cat)
Eat
Bites
Peetz (Pizza)
She says bites and does the sign for drink when she wants a drink
Pease (please)
"Day" (this is thank you)
No
"es" (Yes)
"top" (Stop)

ooooh....pih-eee (Oh Pretty!) - she says this EVERY time I put her in a dress or skirt and EVERY time I wear a dress or skirt. She's a fan of girly clothes.

box
ball
baby
"bash" (bath)
"beh ee" (belly)
bird
"bish" (fish)
bear (the "r" sound is really soft - more like bea-wuh)
bed
buh-sh (brush - for brush teeth)

up
down

done
Hi
Bye
bye-bye (She uses this exclusively for night-night. She usually hands me her baby and says "bye-bye" and does a sign the she made up. That means I'm supposed to rock the baby and sing it a lullaby.)
diddle diddle - (tickle)

uh-oh (this is a new one and makes me laugh every time)
toas (toast - also new - also funny)
wow (new - and very cute - her lips pooch way out when she says it)

"Oat - Ot - Oat" - this is what she says when she's counting. We're working on LOTS of counting right now, so hopefully I'll start hearing more number like words soon. I know that she's "counting" when she says it.

She "counts" while squatting down and then says "bat - ot" and jumps up - that's BLAST-OFF!

ide (hide)
BOO!

"moh" - more

eyes
"ose" - nose - sometimes she'll enunciate the "n"
boush (mouth)

urt (hurt)

bants (pants)

tee-tee
poo-poo
and lots of singing about both

"bos" - this is music and has been for a long time. She says it along with the sign for music.

read
books - take most of the "k" sound out, though

"bot" - dog (along with the sign)

"ut" - hug
"tiss" - kiss

"out-ide" - outside

"oh-wee" - swing - along with a sign that she made up. She also uses this when she's trying to get me to let her do outside related play stuff - like sliding or using the riding toys. She's starting to say "ide" for slide and we made up a sign - but "oh-wee" is still her go to for slide.

"i-brah" - Library - she says this when we say "Daddy is at work" or if I ask her if she's going to work. She says it along with the sign for Library.

"ite" - this is, I think, "I talk" - she consistently says this when she's reaching for the phone.
"ice" - this is, I think, "I see" - she consistently says this when you're holding something that she wants a closer look at.

"ooo-ooo-wee" along with the sign for train - she uses this for things that go - trains, cars, motorcycles.

Moo - for cow and for most animal sounds - she does have a hacking/coughing sound that's quacking.

"atch" - watch
Boo-boo - Blue from Blue's clues

ipe - wipe (baby wipe)

That's all of the individual words I can think of right now. She frequently uses two words combos of any of them and is starting to put together some three word combos.

What I really love is that she's so efficient in her word usage. I generally know what she's asking for and she rarely has problems communicating her needs. I am so thankful for that.

She also has her first joke. She likes to look up really fast and say "OH BIRD!" then look slyly out of the corner of her eyes - that's my cue to say, "Kira! There is no bird up there!" Then she laughs and does it again.

I love this kid so much. I don't even have the words.