Language of love

What it is about a pre-toddler's attempt at talking that is so darn cute?! It doesn't matter how he says it—mishmash of syllables, signs, or clear-as-day consonants, I just burst with love when Noah talks to me (or near me, or over the phone, or on video...).

This week he added two new words: he now says, "doggie," rather clearly (and properly too!), and he signs the word "please." I'm still working on the proper usage of "please" with Noah (and really, my sitter, Heidi, is the one who deserves the credit for him knowing the sign).

For instance, one morning this week as I was dropping Noah off at the sitter, Heidi and I were trying to get him to sign "please" for Michelle, the mommy of Lei-Lynn, Noah's daycare pal. Heidi asked him to say please, and instead of making a circle on his chest—the proper way to sign the word—he made a circle on the crotch of his jeans, enormous smile plastered to his face. Oh boy... that's a whole different meaning!

None-the-less, his entire language coffer now includes: hi, mama, dada, doggie, kitty (sort of), and signs for bye-bye, please and blowing kisses (which he's only done once toward Daddy).

Wow.