words

While it's usually always filled with excitement, Garrett's speaking, as it turns out, isn't always indecipherable.

He says "hello" like it's going out of style -- to strangers upon our or their arrival at the bus stop, to imaginary companions on the phone, and to get someone's attention. Unfortunately, most people can't quite hear it like I can, but I promise you it's there.

He has other words, too: "dog," which is called out in excitement whenever he sees one, followed quickly by "arf arf"; "baby," especially to his little friend, Elizabeth; "night-night," when we tuck him in; "again" when he wants more of something; "all done" and "all gone," which typically mean the same thing to him; and I think I've heard him say something akin to "I love you." He also has a special prayer word, a throaty "nnn-guh," repeated many times in succession. I have no idea what it means, but he only says it during meal time and family prayers when his arms are folded.

Yesterday I was sorting through some old wedding photos and as I did so, Garrett would excitedly point to Blake and say "dad, dad." However, when I pointed to myself in those same photos and asked who this girl was, he acted pretty clueless. This was disheartening, but I managed to get over it by the evening, when, as I was grating cheese for dinner, Garrett came poking his nose into the kitchen begging "shee shee shee."

"Are you asking for cheese, Garrett?" I asked him. He nodded his head in a very affirmative yes and reached his hand out to sneak some.

So apparently, and overnight, it seems, my little boy is using words to communicate. I knew this day would eventually come, but it still has caught me by surprise. My Garrett? Talking? Of course, as I watch him hang from the refrigerator door whining for something he doesn't know the word for inside of it, I realize that we still have a long way to go. But that makes me no less impressed by his abilities today.

Last night, as we were heading to bed, I told Blake about Garrett's sudden vocabulary boom, making sure to throw in the fact that he eagerly says "dad," while side swiping "mama" because I felt I deserved a bit of sympathy.

"I'm sure he says 'mama,'" Blake reassured me. "He just doesn't say it when you're around.

Right, I thought as I turned out the light. Maybe I need to be around him a little less often.

A few hours later, Garrett woke up hysterical, apparently from a bad dream. I went into his room to calm him and tuck him back in, then headed back to bed myself. Not more than an hour later, he woke up again. He sounded very upset, but I was tired, so I poked Blake and told him it was his turn to go calm him down. I heard Blake shuffle to Garrett's crib, and then I heard Garrett's cries get louder. "Mamamamamama," I heard him distinctly say.

Mama? Was he calling for me? Really? I rushed into his room, and took over calming duty from Blake. Immediately Garrett quieted down as I soothed him back to sleep.

"Did you hear that, Blake?" I said as I crawled back into bed. "He was calling for 'mama.' He wanted me to tuck him back in."

"See?" Blake smiled, "I told you he could say 'mama.'"