I don't mean the "goo-goo-ba-ba" kind of baby talk. I don't mean toddler-speak, either. I mean the preverbal communication that mom's get to know of their babies from birth. The slight variations in pitch in their cries that differentiate "I'm hungry" from "I'm tired", the posturing that means "I'm pooping now", and some even more subtle methods of communicating.

The above listed examples I consider sort of a "micro-speak" - it conveys a message about what's going on right now, something mom and dad need to do something about in the present. Then there's a "macro-speak", that communication which is a little more broad, not as urgent. In my experiences now with Chloe, the macro-speak is what tells me when she's sick, or getting sick.

When she had strep throat (following in the footsteps of the rest of the family) the only symptoms she outwardly exhibited was that she was waking at night suddenly. She didn't have a fever, she wasn't fussy, nothing. Yesterday I knew something was up as she refused to use the potty, preferring to pee in her diaper the minute I put it back on her, and refusing to nurse in the morning - then snacking all afternoon. This followed one episode of projectile vomiting first thing in the morning, so we could have attributed it to an upset stomach, but I knew that was not it. Sure enough, I'm awake now at 2:15 AM, (after being awake - right after I fell asleep - at 10 PM for half an hour, and 11:30 PM for over an hour) with a girl who's nose is totally occluded, doing the old saline and suction routine. In retrospect, she was probably even coming down with it the day before THAT even, as she took 3 naps, about 2 hours in length each. Then yesterday she only took short sporadic naps, only one 30 minute nap total in the afternoon. All behaviours very much unlike her.

The communication is there - too bad the language isn't one you can learn in a classroom!