Random Update: More Communication Edition
So I noticed today that Ollie is starting to use multi-word constructions, even something close to real sentences. It's funny to watch these kind of quantum leaps in his skills; Saturday he would whine and demand things in single-word exclamations: "Cracker!" "No Mine!" "Milk!". Today we picked him up from daycare and he said, in no particular order, "Cracker please", "Cookie please", "Water please" (about a hundred times; we all have sore throats right now), and told himself an entire story involving babies, Coco, Gertrude, trucks, and some other objects/people I've forgotten.
The verbal explosion is kind of awe-inspiring to watch. If you tell him a word once, he generally has it down -- what it means, more or less how to say it, etc. The exception is more abstract concepts: he seems to have some grasp of "two", but "one" and anything more than two still escape him, although he can certainly say the words back to you. Still, it's super cute to see him hold up two spoons, or two crackers, or two fingers, and declare, "Two!" His memory is fun to watch, too; he will go through an entire book and tell us what's on each page, even things we didn't know he knew.
He's also getting more independent by the day. He can, will, and in fact must climb into and out of his own carseat, and if you're in a hurry that's just too darn bad. :) Each time he does, he gives you this radiant smile and declares, "I do'ed it!" It's the kind of thing that makes you grin ear-to-ear and at the same time wonder how many more years he'll be willing to yell "BESO!" and kiss you.
He loves soccer and hockey, cars, trucks, airplanes, trains, and most of all bicycles and motorcycles (bi-cuhl and sy-cuhl respectively). He loves "helping" me take photos and then looking through them, and also watching Flickr slideshows of ice hockey and soccer. He loves carrying around Gertrude and my old Cabbage Patch doll, giving them kisses and demanding we do, too. He really, really loves when Gertrude comes alive (courtesy of a carefully hidden dada) and waves at him from the top of the stairs or around a doorway. He loves sitting and reading at night with his mama (usually whatever book she's most tired of, naturally), and going to her soccer games, and telling her all about dada's hockey games.
My favorite thing in the whole world right now is to sit and watch Jenny read to him before bed, because I can see his eyes looking at everything on the page, the words and the pictures, and making connections, making sense of everything. Although, let's be honest... beso attacks are up there too. :)
The verbal explosion is kind of awe-inspiring to watch. If you tell him a word once, he generally has it down -- what it means, more or less how to say it, etc. The exception is more abstract concepts: he seems to have some grasp of "two", but "one" and anything more than two still escape him, although he can certainly say the words back to you. Still, it's super cute to see him hold up two spoons, or two crackers, or two fingers, and declare, "Two!" His memory is fun to watch, too; he will go through an entire book and tell us what's on each page, even things we didn't know he knew.
He's also getting more independent by the day. He can, will, and in fact must climb into and out of his own carseat, and if you're in a hurry that's just too darn bad. :) Each time he does, he gives you this radiant smile and declares, "I do'ed it!" It's the kind of thing that makes you grin ear-to-ear and at the same time wonder how many more years he'll be willing to yell "BESO!" and kiss you.
He loves soccer and hockey, cars, trucks, airplanes, trains, and most of all bicycles and motorcycles (bi-cuhl and sy-cuhl respectively). He loves "helping" me take photos and then looking through them, and also watching Flickr slideshows of ice hockey and soccer. He loves carrying around Gertrude and my old Cabbage Patch doll, giving them kisses and demanding we do, too. He really, really loves when Gertrude comes alive (courtesy of a carefully hidden dada) and waves at him from the top of the stairs or around a doorway. He loves sitting and reading at night with his mama (usually whatever book she's most tired of, naturally), and going to her soccer games, and telling her all about dada's hockey games.
My favorite thing in the whole world right now is to sit and watch Jenny read to him before bed, because I can see his eyes looking at everything on the page, the words and the pictures, and making connections, making sense of everything. Although, let's be honest... beso attacks are up there too. :)
