What's In A Name?

If you've spent any amount of time with Caroline, you know she has an exceptional vocabulary. One that I am proud of because we rarely have communication issues (i.e., meltdowns). She repeats any word you ask her to say, usually with clarity and ease, and stores that word in her memory for future use.

One word she could not and would not say? "Caroline" Instead it came out "Teeee-ooohhh" (whatever that's supposed to sound like).

This frustrated me to no end. She can say phrases like "Sesame Street" and "I scare you, Mommy!" during a game of hide and seek. But, she couldn't get her own name, even when it seemed like all her other classmates could.

Yesterday on the way home from picking her up, I was grilling her (shamelessly) about who she attempted to bite at school yesterday. After going through the routine of her naming all the kids in her class, followed with a prissy little "Nooooo....", she says "Care-line!"

Excuse me?!?! I said "What did you say!?!?!"

"Care-line!"

I immediately teared up and thought I was going to wreck the car (not really, but kinda). Not once had I ever given any amount of thought to how happy, thrilled & tickled I would get just to hear Caroline say that ONE SWEET name that Wally and I have given her.

Hearing her say that, plain as day, is on the top of my list of favorite things that I like to hear from those perfect, pouty little lips. The others in my list:

1. I love you, Mommy. (Ok, and "I love you, Daddy", too. HAHA!)
2. Bye, love! (A Brown-family tradition)
3. You find me! (Such a simple phrase, but one that gets me every time during hide & seek)

Wally and I had Caroline say her name dozens of times last night, as if we were making up for lost time. Maybe now when strangers ask her what her name is, she won't just stare them down. One could hope!!