Chatting away about everything and anything

After Madison was born, I took her out and about in the stroller to the mall or in her infant seat to the grocery store and I always talked to her. I talked to her as if she had an opinion and would let me know it. I discussed our weekly night menu options. I'd ask how she liked an item, holding it up for her perusal. Once while at the mall in the Sears baby section, a lady peered around the rack of clothes and to stare down at baby Madison.

Her: "My goodness, I thought you were talking to yourself, but I see you aren't. Still...she's a little young isn't she, to understand what you're saying?"

Me: (smiling) "I believe she does understand, and if she doesn't know, someday she will."

The woman rolled her eyes and left me in peace, and I continued, keeping that woman in mind, to always chatter away when with Madison.

Me: "Do you see that outfit in the window? Do you like it? Which color? Pink? Blue?"

Me: "The weather is nippy so let's pull out the long sleeve shirts today."

Me: "Do you want a bath now or do you want to wait for Daddy?"

By the time Madison was talking she was full of questions. She asked, why. She asked what things were or who did what, and I always told her, constantly teaching. her things asking, I never second-guessed my early one-sided conversations with her.

This morning while walking the dog I noticed I do the same with Elliot. I ask him questions and when he stops and tilts his head at something I explain what it is. For example, this morning we passed a neighbor removing blankets off his shrubs. We exchanged good mornings and several comments regarding the cool weather, and as Elliot sat and stared I explained:

Me: "He covered his shrubs to protect them from the cold just like Auntie Bonnie did with her bushes and shrubs. Now, he's taking them off to feel the sun. Come on, let's see who else covered their trees."

I could feel the neighbor's eyes on me as we continued down the street, Elliot prancing and me pointing out other covered bushes and commenting on them aloud to my dog. I just know he was rolling his eyes or perhaps wondering where I lived in his neighborhood so he could avoid the area.

To me, this dog is like having another child. I sort of suspected it would be, but I didn't realize how VERY much it would resemble it. Now that I've figured it out, I treat the dog the same way I treated my children. I talked to both of them from the moment they were born so I'm talking to the dog. 

People may think I'm nuts, but the way I see it is...hey, at least I'm not an old lady talking to my cat! (Sorry Kelly)