I / ICH

Since her birthday Lenara is using sentences with "I" and more and more complete sentences are coming out. I'm so amazed by this. One of those developments which happen so suddenly and very noticable. It's not "Lala Puppe" (Lenara's doll) anymore, but "Meine Puppe" (my doll). On her birthday she said "Ich brauche mehr Sahne, bitte" (I need more whipped cream, please) and everyone else stopped talking and just starred at her.

Just some examples. It's such a miracle.

I also notice that she's getting a sense of time. She uses words like today, tomorrow or yesterday, or "not today, but tomorrow". I'm not sure, if I have shared this on the blog, but she also missed her Dad very much, when he was on vacation for 4 weeks. She asked about him all the time. First thing after she woke up (every morning!): "Papa kommt heute." (Daddy is coming today). At dinner "Papa auch essen jetzt?" (Daddy also eating now?) It was really hard for me to respond - both being annoyed after some point and sad at the same time bc now she's starting to feel the facts of having separated parents. I kept explaining and explaining, telling her that Daddy misses her too, but he went on vacation with an airplane and he will come back to see her after a while.

Then I had an idea: I drew a picture of a caterpillar, with different circles as the body. One circle for each day we had to wait - 21 days from that day. Every morning we colored one of the circles and counted the days until her Dad would come and pick her up again. Of course, she didn't get the whole meaning, but I had a feeling it helped her and she stopped asking several times a day. We paid attention to the issue and her feelings every day, which was important. And I'm hoping, if we keep using this "Daddy calendar", she'll eventually get a better sense of time.

It was also one of the very noticable changes lately. So far she has been happy, when Daddy showed up. But she never really asked about him, when he wasn't around.

I have more to write and to share, but I'm too tired now... will have to wait. P.S. The mooncup has arrived, but my period not yet... to be continued. ;)