Words, words, words

I'm beginning to feel a lot like Annie Sullivan around here, as Micah's thirst for language magnifies every day. Pretty much from sun up to sun down, we get quizzed with the words "whas dhat?" He can't always repeat what we say, and there are some very cute alternatives. For example, "shoes" is just "shzzz" and "cat" is "ow" (for meow). Anything round is "apple," which also seems to be a general conversational word, on the order of "how are you doing?" or "I'm in the kitchen." He can now ask to go "up" very clearly, and is very emphatic when he's "ah dun" with a meal. He has his first verb this week, "dance," which is also one of his favorite activities. There are still a lot of words that he's saying that don't mean anything to us, like "ghush."
He's definitely understanding a lot of what we say, and when we say "time for school" or "time for a bath," he knows to grab a hand and toddle in the right direction. He can point to several body parts, including eyes, ears, mouth, hair, and tummy, and just today said "eyes," which sounds a lot like another frequent demand we hear, "ice" (which we give him in restaurants to keep him busy.) It is amazing to see all the language developing, and you never know where a new word will turn up. One day he said "elephant" quite clearly, but hasn't repeated it again; he says "owl" quite a lot too -- we think they may have talked about owls a lot at school during halloween. And this week we had the biggest surprise -- he quite clearly is identifying the Sesame Street character "Elmo" by name despite the fact that we he doesn't watch TV at all at home, and I don't think they watch it at school.
We're looking forward to a visit from my sister and her family this week, and it will be wonderful to have all 5 of my sisters' and my children together for the first time. I think my niece and nephew will be quite surprised that "baby Micah" isn't quite a baby anymore, tho' I hope they'll be less interested in carrying him around like a doll than his cousins who live locally. As the youngest, Micah will have to learn to stand up for himself quickly, but he also seems to be everyone's pet.
Wishing all of my friends around the world a very joyous holiday season!

Happy Hanukkah!

16 months/2 years/49 years

Yes, I admit, I did color-coordinate my outfit to my son's.... does that make me shallow???

Riding the "neigh-neigh"..... we'll break the news about zebras soon!

Helping mommy get ready for Thanksgiving

Mine mine all mine.

Micah is sixteen months old today, and today is the two-year anniversary of his conception -- that crazy day we sat at a beach bungalow in Goa and heard the 36-hour-old news about the terrorist attack in Mumbai, and it slowly dawned on us that our families might be worried..... the start of our crazy, delayed journey back to Mumbai and onward to home, with new security in place and unexpected flight delays, admidst our continued deliberations of whether we were ready to be parents.... what a start you had in this world, Micah Moo!

Today is also my parents 49th anniversary. How much worry we caused them 2 years ago, and what a great present we brought home!

Micah's list of accomplishments keeps growing. We couldn't be more proud of him if he sprouted wings and began to fly. Today he said his first three-syllable word, elephant, loud and clear, and daddy was there so he believes me. He also knows to point at his hair if you ask him "Where's your hair," and asks for his favorite foods, "Ap-pul" and "na-na" every time the refrigerator is open. He got a new little walker toy today, and demonstrated that he can walk backwards nearly as well as he walks forwards. He recognizes so many words now: bath, brush, ball, book, and loves to point and ask for "Dat" or to ask what "Dhis" is. He loves to sit in mommy's lap and read books, particularly Boyton books, the Cat and Dog books with moving tails, Brown bear, Brown Bear. However, he still loves to eat the dry cat food and play in the cats' water bowl, so perhaps he's not as bright as we think.

It's Official

Dear Micah,
You weren't with us today in the courtroom because it was your naptime, and after your recent performance at our favorite Sunday brunch restaurant, we've learned not to mess with the nap. We were there for a very important reason -- to complete the process of making sure I have all the legal rights and responsibilities of being your mother. Of course, it changes nothing. I'll still be the same woman who has been feeding, cuddling, reading, bathing, and shopping for you. But somehow, it was momentous, too, when the judge asked your daddy why I should be your mother and he said "Because she is. Because we wouldn't have a child if it wasn't for her." The judge asked daddy about my moral character, and he vouched for my honesty and integrity." Good thing the judge didn't ask me too many questions, because I started to cry as soon as we got in the courtroom, and all I could muster were simple answers with my voice cracking. "Because he's my heart and soul" is what I would have liked to have answered. We were lucky to have a judge who really "got it" that you came to be my son immediately, that no one else considers you to be her son. In 9 minutes it was over, and the record states, "In the matter of the petition of Stephanie KB for the adoption of a child Micah Gabriel S, it is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed that the Final Decree of Adoption for the child is hereby granted, and that the child shall be and is hereby entitled to all rights and privileges and subject to all obligations of a child pursuant to statute."

I wonder if you have any idea of how ridiculously loved you are? It isn't just your daddy and me, though we spend most of our free time these days watching you toddle around with your little gorilla gait, exploring and showing off your newest skills. It isn't just your grandparents, either, who seem watch you with a special sort of pride reserved for the youngest grandchild. It seems like everyone you meet seems a little enthralled by you. You have such a gentle way, such a happy smile, and eyes that lock into connection with others. Kvell, kvell, kvell, we are proud of you beyond measure, for these traits lie within you, not through anything we've done as parents.
What's been most excitely lately is watching the pride you take in your own accomplishments. This week I bought you new "big boy" shoes, not the soft slippery type shoe you'd been wearing up until now. At first, you acted like we had poured concrete around your feet, and that we had played some horrible trick on you, but after one day of wearing them, you're walking so much stronger and you want your shoes on immediately on waking up, even if I have to put them on over your pajama feet. Today, when I brought you home from daycare, I let you walk up the front walkway instead of carrying you, and instead of going inside you walked to your stroller and demanded to be taken on a walk. It was the first time we say you really express an opinion on wanting to do something. It seems like you make a new amazing discovery every day. A few days ago it was the moon, today it was mommy's bubblegum. I guess what really makes me your mother is being so excited to see you learn and grow, becoming a real person in your own right.

Today I am a Boy

Today my little sweet baby became a boy. How do I know it was today? Call it the Three Stoodges Test: he laughed at his own fart noise. 'nuf said.

On the growth and development front, Micah had his 15 month check-up today: he's in the 45th percentile for height and the 10th percentile for weight. He's gonna be a lean boy like his daddy.

More Halloween Cuteness

Dang, why did I make "duck" my first word! This hood is annoying........

Uh-oh, Mom, we have a problem here! (With Marley, our across-the-street neighbor.)

I'll show you my pacifier if you show me yours!

Halloween Warm-up

Just had a nice-sized spider run across my keyboard as I was catching up on other people's blogs.... a sure sign of fall in Colorado. We're getting ready for a balmy Halloween weekend here. Of course, Micah doesn't know what this is about, but we plan to take him out to some daytime costume events to show him off in his adorable duck costume. Photos of that to come, but in the meantime, thought I'd show off what he wore to daycare today, courtesy of Aunt Victoria (cute beret came home with me from France). Little boys aren't nearly as much fun to dress as little girls, but this is pretty darn cute!