"She talks to me a lot."

Over the past few weeks, we have been undergoing a baptism by fire into Gracie's new stage: Chatterbox.

Take today, for example. Gracie woke up and crawled into bed next to me at about 5:45 a.m. because, "I have a yucky cough, Mommy." (And she did.) But instead of just going back to sleep as I hoped, chatterbox mode kicked in...

"Do you hear it? <cough cough> It's a yucky cough. I can't sleep very well with a yucky cough. Mommy, if I still have a yucky cough when it's my dance class day, I won't be able to go to dance class. I don't want to get all of my friends sick. Right, Mommy? I won't be able to go to dance class. Is it morning, Mommy? I thought I heard some birds singing. Do you hear them? Mommy, did you hear that? I heard some birds singing. When are we going to get up? I didn't get a lot of good rest last night with this yucky cough. <cough cough> I hope I get better so I can go to dance class."

Of course, to get the full effect, you have to understand that in between each one of those sentences, there was a pause just long enough to make me think that she was done and going to fall asleep...and then the next one would come. On and on until I finally told her to go out and watch some morning cartoons so we could get a little reprieve.

Some days it makes me giggle. Some days it makes me want to scream. Some days I wonder where she gets the energy or why her vocal chords haven't given out yet. Most every day either Brendon or I can be heard quoting Doug #4 from the movie Multiplicity: "She talks to me a lot."

P.S. The "yucky" cough was just from mouth-breathing while sleeping. It was gone by breakfast, so I think the friends at dance class, which is not until next Tuesday, are safe. ;-)