...and now he's talking!

Logan started talking early, inconsistently using words like ball, fish, duck, quack, car, and cracker. Once he started crawling and then walking, he stopped talking. He regressed entirely and wouldn't say anything. It was like he had to put all of his energy into learning how to move and couldn't think about talking.

Now that he's walking comfortably, the talking has started back up. He calls Jacob and me Dada and Mama, very clearly. "Dada" is loud and punctuated at the end- like he's trying to get Jacob's attention. He says it the same way every time, even if Jacob is right next to him. "Mama" is much softer and is often repeated two or three times like "mamamama".

This morning as I was getting ready for work I heard him talking through the monitor. First he called for Dada (what's that about?? I'm always there to get him in the morning!), then he called for Mama a few times. Finally, he gave up and started playing with the aquarium in his crib, turning on and off the music. I heard him clearly say "fish" as he played and then, as if he was experimenting with the word, he started repeating himself "fish, fissshhh, fissssshhhhhhh, fish".

I remember us wishing Brody would just speak so we could prove Dr. Ben wrong and show that Brody didn't have a speech problem. Now we sometimes wish our little motor mouth would just be quiet for a few minutes so we could have a moment of peace. I guess it's time to prepare ourselves for two motor mouths in the family. Those long car rides are going to be tough!

Progress all around!

We're in a good place right now. We're into week 3 of "Operation: Put Logan Down". After a year-plus of Logan being attached to my hip and screaming whenever he isn't connected to me, he's finally starting to gain some independence. I don't think it's a coincidence that he started walking just a week into this initiative. He needed to spend time on the ground in order to learn how to walk. He's still happiest in my arms but he'll tolerate playing on the ground too, which is huge growth and a relief for my back and arm.

Logan is also communicating like crazy, nodding and shaking his head. It's made us realize just how much he understands. We can ask him if he's hungry or thirsty, if he has poo poo, or if he wants a diaper change (to that he ALWAYS answers no). He always answers questions, whether through nodding or shaking his head or by making sounds. He's trying to talk, but the sounds aren't quite right yet. We can't understand him, but he's getting so much closer. It's a lot easier to keep him happy now that we can ask him questions to figure out what's wrong.

Brody is fully potty trained and wearing big boy underwear at night too. He's only had a couple of accidents and has done great over the past couple of weeks. His first time without a pull up at night was at Pawley's Island. He was awake before us and just stayed in bed. When we got up, the first thing he said was "sorry" in an adorable little voice. Cute kid.

He's also getting himself into the car on his own now. He can open the car door, close it from the inside, and clip himself into his carseat. It's pretty fantastic, especially on rainy days when I don't want to be hanging outside the car clipping both kids in.

The boys are picking at each other. When we're not looking, Brody may step on Logan's toy or knock into him. Logan has discovered that he can cry out for no reason and we'll blame it on Brody. He's done that more than once, and when we look over Brody is saying "I didn't do anything!". No matter how they act throughout the day, there is always bedtime and morning that lets us know how much they love each other. Logan won't go to bed without first crawling into Brody's bed and laying down with him on his pillow. And in the morning, Logan squeals at his first sight of Brody. Brody for his part will jump as soon as he hears Logan through the monitor in the morning, asking if he can go in and get him.

We've done a good thing. We have two sweet little boys who love each other. The days fly by but if feels like forever that we've been a family.

The caveman

Thanks Granny. You let Brody pee outside one time. One time! Now he's a caveman. Jacob and Brody were walking Foster around the playground one evening last week and Brody lagged behind a little bit. Jacob turned around to tell Brody to speed up and found him with his pants around his ankles, peeing on a tree. In front of a playground full of kids and their parents. Thanks Granny.

FINALLY!

At one week shy of 16 months...