click!

Grant is rapidly learning to talk, which amazes me. Isn't the classic paradigm that the second child, especially if it is a boy, doesn't say a word until 18 months? Not at my house. He's remarkably attentive to what we say, and says all sorts of interesting multisyllabic babble in response to events and things we say to him. His only word that is firmly placed in the true language realm is "Doggie," as he says it whenever he sees the dog, and often while pointing to the dog. But he also says "Dada" upon request, and if you ask him to say "Mama" he laughs at you (truly) and says "Dada" and then laughs again. Every time. So I'm quite sure he understands what he is doing, and that it is somehow funny. Grant also does the "motor" sound when he plays with cars or trucks, and can very nicely imitate a clicking sound for his amusement. When he's in the right mood, you can have an entire sound conversation with him.

Grant: Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrr...
Me: (click)
Grant: (click) (click) ba ba ba
Me: Say Mama!
Grant: (heeeehh heeeh) DADA! (heeeehhh heehhhh)
Me: You are being silly. Say Mama!
Grant: (hheeehhhh) DADA!
Me: OK, say Dada.
Grant: DADA!
Me: What's this? Is this your shoe?
Grant: Da da ba ba bbbbbbbrrrrrrrr squeeee! DAW-GHEEE!
Me: Who is this? Is this the doggie?
Grant: DAW-GHEE! DAW-GHEE!

And so on.

Grant also is teaching himself to run. This is a violent and painful process, but he's hellbent on it, so I'm just trying to make sure that he doesn't poke out an eye. It is also pretty funny to watch, although the push-pull between laughing at the kid, and comforting him when he face-plants, is pretty tough.

Cooper is having some adjustment issues with Matt's new schedule, and for whatever interesting reason, has decided that the best thing to do now that Matt isn't home for dinner four nights in a row, each week, is for Cooper to not eat dinner. I am displeased with this. A cranky hungry exhausted toddler that refuses dinner is not really who I want to spend my evenings with. I'm hoping that as Cooper adjusts to the new schedule, this will improve greatly. In the meantime, I'm trying not to get freakish about forcing him to eat, and the folks at daycare informed me that he's eating very well there, so in the big picture I'm sure it will be fine.