The Latch Game

A few nights ago I tucked Eliza into her crib and opened her door to leave.  It was then I heard the words, "POP-POP, Trish, Lilah."  It's her newest sentence and she loves having something to say just like everyone else.  Of course what she actually says is, "Pop-Pop, Ish, Yih-Yah."  But I know exactly who she is talking about.

It's actually a most random group of people to put together.  Pop-Pop of course we've all heard of now and know all too well what he brings to the table.  Trish is a dear friend of mine who Eliza saw for the the first time in about 5 months and apparently was quite taken by her sweetness, or just the fact that her name was a sound she could make.  And Lilah is the newest addition to our growing group of friends with babies and Eliza would sit on her and eat her at the same time if someone would let her.

It's very sweet listening to Eliza talk in sentences.  No it doesn't make a lick of sense but she understands that communicating is putting words together so she does it.  Usually it's "Pop-Pop, Ish, or Yih-Yah" in any given order.  Every once in a while she will throw in a "Uk" which is Eliza talk for Luke  or a "Moooh-ma" which is her favorite playmate Mona.

So for some reason Eliza has decided to play this game at the exact same time she latches on for a nursing. Yes, the champion is still nursing.  We are going on two years and I plan on keeping at it until she decides to quit or until it becomes creepy. So immediately after latching on she dislatches, unlatches?......unlatches and declares, "Ish." And I play along and ask, "Trish?" At which point she smiles huge, relatches, unlatches, and declares, "Yih-Yah."  And I ask, "Lilah?'  At which point she smiles huge, relatches, unlatches, and declares, "Uk."  Do we all see where this is going?  Have we gotten the gist of this game?  It makes for a most inefficient nursing and after about one minute of this she jumps off my lap and runs away.  Until we nurse again.

A few nights ago Trish got all the glory in the latch game.  The conversation went something like this...
Pop Pop!...Pop-Pop?
Ish...Trish?
Yih-Yah...Lilah?
Ish...Trish?
Yih-Yah...Lilah?
Ish...Trish?
Ish...Trish?
Ish...Trish?
Ish...Trish?
Ish...Trish?
Ish...Trish?
Ish...Trish?

So what is that like 10 latches and unlatches? What is this game?  Who is winning?  Is there a winner?  Am I the only one keeping score?  Sometimes I play along for a long time so I think I am the winner because I will trick her into boredom and she will stop.  Only she doesn't stop and the game gets very long and I get bored and quit so I think she might actually be ahead. I hate losing. Especially at games I don't understand.