Burr-Deh!

Some really sweet chattering going on these days. I recorded this over my shoulder without being able to see her. Watching it now, what with all the hand examining, it seems like we slipped something psychotropic in her oatmeal.

This "burr-deh!" expression has become her favorite. I think it is incredibly cute since the intonation is both inquisitive and emphatic. John Arne proposed that she was trying to say "borte", which is Norwegian for "gone" and a key element in the Norwegian game of peek-a-boo, but I'm not so sure. She's approximated several words at this point (like "agua") but none in context so we still wait for her First Official Word. My friends Mike and Eva, their son Aksel's was "iPod." If exposure is the key I'm guessing Bine's will be "fiberglass" or maybe "epoxy."

In other Bine news, she's crazy about raisins. Can't get enough. And, unfortunately, gecko poop. Every morning she looks for the fresh crop under the big window above the front door where they reside. (They are otherwise very pleasant and welcomed guests, eating most of the bugs and being generally entertaining. We honestly try to sweep it all up but, the geckos, they're...productive.) Now that I think about it the two items look pretty similar. Needless to say, we're far more encouraging of the former than the latter.

*Important note to concerned grandparents: You needn't fear. There have only been two actual instances of lizard-excrement-to-baby-lips-contact and they were both quickly remedied. Perhaps too quickly, since she doesn't seem to have figured out it isn't as good as raisins. But then again, I wouldn't know, would I?