Suddenly (as in the last two days), ToddlerManatee seems to be understanding a lot more of what I am saying. It's like a language switch flipped in her brain. The book we were just reading had a kid holding a doll, so I pointed to it and said, "Where is your doll? Maybe she wants to hear the story too." And she raced over to the toy area
and grabbed her doll. I've been talking to her every day for over a year, and it has kind of been like talking to my dog, but now she definitely understands me!
In related news, I need to stop cursing so much.