There was a few months around 2 where she said 'car', 'happy' and 'book' and words like that. But since she started dagis and heard Swedish all around her, she really never spoke it. I wasn't taking it so well and was becoming really frustrated and sometimes sad. I understand Swedish but its not my first language and somehow I almost didn't feel that she came from me because of it. Things translate differently and I wasn't having those 'oh that's so cute' moments when she said things, because they don't sound cute in Swedish in the same way. And the biggest problem for me was that my parents and relatives and her little Irish friends couldn't understand her. For Tilly everyone understands Swedish so she couldn't figure out why she needed to speak anything else - duh!
I will give credit to my parents for being patient enough and stubborn enough to keep telling her they didn't understand. Which in all fairness they didn't. And what do you know she suddenly just spoke pretty good English. It was the same when she learnt to walk. Nothing, not even an attempt until 19 months and then boom she just got up and walked. The same with drawing or writing. Nothing until 4 years and then she just wrote her name and drew a little person. So I guess she is one of those people who absorbs things, accesses and then only when she is really certain she won't fail, she just does them. Good or bad, I'm not sure. But I don't know how to express my happiness when she says 'Mummy' instead of Mamma, or 'Look at my outfit' or as she did today 'I want to krama you' (krama is hug in Swedish) so there is a little Swenglish going on. But I'll take anything.
So thank you parents for helping out and for giving me a skip in my step everyday, and oh the fact that its 22 degrees out helps too.
