49 Weeks - Head Banging & Da-da, Ma-ma pt 2

It's funny because you are so close to being one year old, and yet you act like you are four years old sometimes. But then there are times when you act like a 11 month old.  Case and point - when you put your back to things and bang your butt and head against them.  Let me elaborate a bit.  You frequently (read: daily) in your playing will put your back against a wall or the couch or anything you can back up to and then start bumping your butt against it repeatedly.  Then you tip your head back and start banging your head against the object as well.  It is cute and funny for the most part, except when you do it to the TV.  Now if we lived back when I was a kid this wouldn't be a problem because TVs were tube style.  They front was hard glass and fairly indestructible.  But now with the proliferation of LCD and Plasma TVs there is no telling what kind of damage you can do.  So we try to get you to come away from the TV.  This is when you act like a one year old and just smile knowing you are getting into trouble but nothing is going to happen and just laugh at your parents as you continue your evil behavior.  OK. Not evil.  But not listening to your parents is not cool.

Look at that face!  It just scream
"I know I am not supposed to do this
but I am going to do it anyways!"

The other thing to mention this week is your pronounced use of "da-da" and "ma-ma."  You have been able to make the sounds for a few weeks now, but it wasn't until this week that I think the light bulb really went off and you knew that saying "da-da" meant me and saying "ma-ma" meant your mom.  It was pretty awesome that you could identify us with verbalizations.  It is one of those hard to explain parent things where after taking care of something for so long and then suddenly being recognized on an individual level... it just feels amazing.  No other words to describe it.

And since I am posting this after your first birthday I can report that you are also dangerously close to saying "doggy," "cracker," and even (according to your mom) "cupcake."  Your speaking seems to be the last thing you want to work on.  I think that is because of a few factors.  First - you are always moving and doing things way more fun.  Which leads to factor two - you don't talk much.  And when you do, factor three, you babble in a clear enough way to get what you want and have no need to really learn to speak.  So your mom and I will need to be better about making you speak.  Much like with the sign language.  Make you speak.  And use manners.

That's all for now!