An incredible growth spurt

Which way's the beach?, originally uploaded by jessicafm.

This week we've been witness to an incredible growth spurt in Davey, but not physical: Cognitive.

For a long time it's been obvious that David understands pretty much everything we say and can follow compound directions. As much as he's babbled, and he's babbled a LOT, he's been reluctant to speak English much. He's regularly said "Dad'n" to mean Mark for a really long time, and he says, "mamamama" to get people to do things for him (but not as a way to address me). Months ago he'd made attempts at saying a few words such as bird, dog, kitty. However it'd been months since I'd heard him really say anything understandable other than Dad'n, even though I'd try to get him to say the words I knew he knew.

Well, this week... things have opened up.

I already blogged that he started saying his name a couple days ago. Since then he's been saying his name a lot. Day-yee or Day-dee. Always accompanied by pointing to his own chest. VERY sweet!

This afternoon I came in to the room while he was eating lunch an he casually smiled and said, "Hi Mama."

WHOA. That was the first time he'd actually addressed me as Mama. As you can imagine, I stopped dead in my tracks, smiled and praised him.

He seems to be trying to speak more words now, as well. He regularly says, "Cheers," when we're drinking at meals, "thank you," when given something he wants (sometimes without being prompted), "excuse me," when he burps (when prompted). And he's s trying and playing with different sounds. It's great!

Also, today he indicated to Marina that he might want to go to the bathroom so she took off his diaper and he sat on his potty. And he pooped! Just a little, but still... a poop! Before his bath I asked if he wanted to pee and he sat on his potty and DID. After his bath, he CLIMBED OUT OF THE BATH ON HIS OWN, sat on the potty and peed a little.

Aside from those major moves forward, he's been playing with physical growth and dexterity: He regularly climbs in and out of this stroller, high chair, adult chairs, up the ladder... heck, he's taken to carefully balancing on his pair of bongos and dancing.

And the past three evenings, he's stopped struggling and started cooperating when I brush his teeth and trim his fingernails and toenails. Finally!

And, of course, he has memorized the location of Goldbug on every page of Cars and Trucks and Things That Go and is picky and specific about which books he wants to read and when.

Basically, he's going through a huuuuge growth spurt and he's such a joy.