Quirky Maya

When you only have a small sample, it is hard to know what is entirely normal, what is quirky and what is abnormal. From our small sample (and friends around us), it seems that Maya has quite a few cute quirks that make Maya Maya: 

• She likes to always carry a leaf or toy or lego or object when walking around - now preferably my handbag;
• When you tell Maya no - she almost always listens and wags her finger - "no" (what 15 month old actually listens to no???) - sometimes listening makes her unhappy and so she bursts in tears but still does not do the thing you told her not to do;
• She is very aware of her needs - since she was very young, it was always clear when she needed to sleep; for a few months now, she makes the sleep sign when she is tired and wants to nap;
• Maya gets upset easily if she wants something and you don't give it to her but she can always turn it off within a split second if you find something else that interests her or explain to her why she can't have the thing. She never really loses it completely;
• She is very strong physically, kicked like a fiend as a tiny newborn, walked holding hands at 6 months, did her first solo steps at 8 months and scootered just before 15 months;
• Maya does not talk all the time but is very good at making her needs and wishes understood and often blurts out something surprising - recently "Daddy, look at that", "tobogan", coccinelle, mamie, culotte, qu'est c'est ca? "1-10" or just dix - as if it's all stored in there but can't always come out;
• She has a funky way of drinking her milk - she drinks drinks and drinks and then very suddenly , as if her stomach were literally overflowing, she decides she is done and pushes it away and that's it - no going back;
• Maya does not like riding in cars (with our without boys) - she is much better than she used to be but still not a fan;
• Maya is very good and and enjoys reproducing tunes/singing reproducing beats (I sang Beethoven's 5th to her about a month or so ago and the next day she was humming it, same with a few other tunes);
• Maya is very sociable - she goes up to people at playgrounds and "talks" to them and gives them her water bottle and tries to play with them or pet them (she likes to gently pet people's head!);
• She signs please rather than whine for something (I love that one :) but it always surprises me).