Mama, Up!

Kai is actively engaged in learning to talk now. Thank goodness! Yesteray he was doing a real good job of repeating some of our words. In the morning while playing with a stuffed animal he kept poking it's eyes out and repeating Reid saying "eyes". Later we went outside to play in the grass. He loves to play in the grass and pull out handfuls of green stuff. I would say "grass" and, well, he couldn't say the "gr" part but the last three letters were very clear. I was laughing my head off. We also saw the neighbors dog out and he tried to say dog but it came out more "daw". So cute.

Yesterday afternoon, Kai went over to the neighbors to "play"/be "babysat" by their 10 year-old daughter (and the help of grandma) while I cleaned the house a bit. It was the first time that I have ever paid for babysitting! And the first time I've left him awake with anyone other than family. He ran into the house, started playing, and didn't even notice when I left. But when I went to get him, they told me that he was trying to talk. For example, he said "mama" once and he asked Sarah for her "nooo" or noddles. When I brought him home I could tell that he was realizing that people other than mommy talk too, and it might be good to learn. He was trying hard. And it resulted in his first phrase! After only 10 minutes of trying to eat his dinner he wanted out. He slouched back in his highchair, like he was pouting, and then he said "mama......UP!" I had to reward him for talking and so I picked him up and boy was he so excited.

You gotta love him!