Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Help with my 4yr old... (long)

My oldest DD4 (she acctually isnt 4 till feb. 9th) is very very confusing to me she did everthing in babyhood very early rolled over 1mo., sat alone 3 1/2mo., crawled at 5mo., stood alone in middle of the room for more then a few min. at 6 1/2mo., walked at 8 1/2mo....at 6mo. she started her love of books (even paper books and has never torn a book) and would sit alone quietly for around an hour looking at books and babbling she had all the books memorized at 2 and would "read" them she also memorized all the names of all the pictures on her flash cards (two packs) i didnt teach her these they were lying around and she picked them up and asked what they were she knew them all (even weird ones like umpire ) within a few days of asking the names of them

she continued this way for a while she learned her abc's and counted to 18 around 2 1/2 (i didnt teach them to her she just walked in the room one day saying abc...or counting). Around 2-2 1/2 is when her verbal ability started she could talk to you like a 4-5yr old (funny thing is she only started talking at two years old) by the time she was three her vocabulary was almost equel to mine (she only knows the words she hears) and i have a decent vocab. she was using large words in perfect context and has continued on growing her vocab she is now on about an 7-8yr old (maybe higher) level in verbal ability (her vocabulary is like an adults) but still of course has the imaturity of a 4yr old

she also has an interesting imagination and is constantly taking things/toys and building/creating new things with them (she uses the metal bars from her broken babydoll highchair on her babydoll umbrella stroller so that she can attach the babydoll carseat) shes very inventive and creative and my husband often tells me she is odd or strange because the things she says or does i just tell him well thats just her she a little different she sometimes talks to people who arent there but doesnt have one certain imaginary friend

she asks a ton of questions and strange things (at age 3 in the car one day she asked where do the waves go?? we were no where near waves and she hasnt ever really even seen waves) i often do not know the answers and tell her we will ask her father or look online later..

i wanted to add she knows her letters but not all their sounds and refuses to say her numbers (she used to count but refuses now) but told me the other day that she knows how many there are (they were cheerios) but doesnt know the words for it i often feel she may know more in these areas then she lets on she is a perfectionist and tends to hide in these areas..

so my first question is even though she didnt talk at 7mo. or read at 2-3yrs and all those amazing things is she still gifted? or just a bright 4yr old?? (she acctually isnt 4 till feb. 9th)

im also wondering are there other kids on here who dont know much about letters and numbers and counting and reading but still seem very advanced in other areas???