Talking up a storm

I should be aggravated that M is talking up a storm when she's supposed to be sleeping, but I'm not. Why? Because my daughter is actually lying here next to me (she's in her bed, I'm sitting on the floor next to it) talking in full sentences - in HEBREW. All of a sudden it's like someone flipped a switch, she's actually holding full conversations in Hebrew, telling stories, cracking jokes. All things which until recently were almost impossible for her even in English, and now she's doing them in Hebrew as well! I'm so proud I swear my heart is going to burst right out of my chest.

Her speech therapist visited her preschool the other day to observe and work a bit with her "in real time". She and I had a long state of the union talk today and she is really pleased with the progress Maya is making. I am too of course, but it's especially nice to get some professional validation. Not only is the gap between the two languages (which had been estimated at about 8 months) lessening, her expressive language is just exploding. She came home from school the other day and actually told me a story about something that had happened that day. This is HUGE for Maya. Until now when asked how school was she'd repeat that "she had fun in school and played with toys/animals/puzzles", but it was a formulaic response, not a real interaction.

And, to top it all off, the other day Maya, who never ever ever used to talk to people she didn't know, walked of her own volition up to the owner of the local pizza place (who she doesn't really know) and politely said "may I have a glass of water, please?". I nearly fainted on the spot.

Her talking (both in terms of language, particularly Hebrew, and in terms of her willingness to actually use that language) is progressing by leaps and bounds, she's interested in other children and social interaction, she's happier in her own skin... We're finally getting there. The road has been long, and we're still miles from our destination, but we're finally moving forward and it feels damn good.

And as the icing on the mommy cake she's now sound asleep at the perfectly reasonable hour of 9:30(yes this is reasonable for us, and for Maya it's practically miraculous). Are you sure this is really my daughter?