So full of brains you'd think she's a zombie

Since I last updated you (oh, last week-ish), Zadie has picked up the "k" sound and is trying to say "cat" and "car" (she can't quite manage the endings, but you can hear the difference), and can caw like a crow (when she sees crows). She has also learned to clap, and thus can show us when she's happy and she knows it. She is standing and briefly balancing (very briefly, like a second or two).

She also now makes the sign language sign for "milk" and uses it appropriately (example: Mom and I said "Are you hungry?" and she replied by making the milk sign). And she made the signs for both "bird" and "duck" at appropriate times today (upon seeing crows and ducks, respectively). Did I mention she's also been saying "bow wow" when the book calls for it or when she hears dogs barking? She also does the baby sign for dog (panting) and flower (sniffing). And on Friday she cracked me up by going "Mmmm" when our guest said "Mmmm" upon seeing the spread of junk food.

If you believe my mom, who doesn't lie, but who does have a very generous ear for Zadie's speech ("Hi" to Mom sounded like "huh" to me for about a week), she also said "Alice" to my Alice in Wonderland memorabilia. Apparently, it sounded like "Ellish," but that was good enough. She was staring at an Alice cookie jar. Pretty cool, huh? Now we're working on Tintin.

She also eats almost everything, having now tried eggs and cornmeal and soy cheese. Seriously, she's a good, healthy eater. In fact, I'm off to feed her now.

Stuff changes so fast I can hardly keep up! I heard that at 8 months old, they really start retaining a lot more and thus learning a lot and going through many changes, but she's just on such a roll. She impresses me.