When I ask John, “Do you want to brush your teeth?” he starts making his sign for tooth-brushing, while grinning and running into the bathroom.
When I tell John that it is time for bathtime, he begins repeating his word for "bathtime" (which is two syllables and begins with "ba-"). Also, I think he has recently begun saying a word for "diaper" (two syllables, begins with "di") when I say, "Let's get you a nice, dry diaper."
If we’re in the upstairs bedroom and I ask John, “Are you ready to go downstairs with Mama?” he toddles over to the baby gate at the bedroom door, which is where I pick him up and carry him downstairs. And if we're downstairs and I mention going upstairs, he toddlers to the baby gate near the bottom of the stairs.
I can ask John, “Do you want to nurse?” and get a very reliable response depending on whether he wants to nurse. In fact, if he is crying in distress, I can often calm him enough to temporarily stop crying by telling him that we’re going to nurse in a moment.
When I ask John if I may wipe his nose, he holds his face very still and sticks his nose out at me.
If we’re downstairs and I tell John that we’re going to “go outside,” he runs to the doorway between the kitchen and garage. (Then part of our routine is that he gets to push one button on the alarm pad to make it beep before we leave.)
When John hears music, he begins dancing. If I say, “Should I put on some music?” he also begins dancing to tell me “yes.” If John hears a sound that interests him, he points to his ear. If he hears a telephone ringing (even on a television show), he puts his hand to his ear and says, “Ohhhh?” (which means, “hello”).
When we say grace before meals, we say, “Are you ready to pray?” If John feels like it, he responds by putting his hands together to pray. Also, several times he has recognized me praying. Just this morning, after I woke up and was doing my ablutions, I sat down on the edge of the bathtub to pray. It might not be the holiest of places, but as a mother, I have to grab prayers anywhere and anytime I can. John was playing in my closet, so couldn’t even see me, but he could hear me praying aloud. When I walked into the closet to get him, he greeted me by making the sign for praying!
I keep thinking of examples, so I'll stop listing them. Suffice it to say, this is an exciting time!
Below are two more photos from the birthday party yesterday, as taken by my brother-in-law:
Even if Mr. Chesterton was not thinking of my wife specifically with this quote, he most certainly was doing so in spirit.
ReplyDelete"To be Queen Elizabeth within a definite area, deciding sales, banquets, labors and holidays; to be Whiteley within a certain area, providing toys, boots, sheets cakes. and books, to be Aristotle within a certain area, teaching morals, manners, theology, and hygiene; I can understand how this might exhaust the mind, but I cannot imagine how it could narrow it. How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about the Rule of Three, and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No; a woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness."
-- G.K. Chesterton
I too am fascinated with a child's language acquisition and comprehension. I'm amazed everyday at just how much our babies understand at such a young age. It's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that photo of you and John...absolutely beautiful. It reminds me of one of those photos that children, as adults, cherish of their parents. It's just so timeless and embodies your relationship with your son.
Thank you, dear. That is very sweet of you.
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