Ivan is speaking – it’s amazing to hear his new words each and every day.
One morning this week he was going through the house pointing at things. “Jacket” he said pointing at his jacket. Then he pointed at Ezri’s coat and said, “Weh-zee Coe” (his word for Ezri and his word for coat). “Robot” he said pointing at one of our wind-up toys. “Nightmah Moo” he said pointing at Ezri’s pony named Nightmare Moon. “Chee” he said pointing at the camera (which he thinks of as the “Cheese!”). “Babybug” he said pointing at his babybug magazine. Not all words sound like what he’s trying to say, but “Babybug” is pretty clearly enunciated. Eric was surprised when Ivan pointed at a picture Ezri had colored of Hello Kitty and said, “Meow Picture.” We did not know he had learned or could say the word picture.
He is learning the power of please which sounds like, “Bees!” So, he will pick up a book which he calls “boo” and toddle towards you saying, “Boo, boo” and then a pause and a very loud “BEES!”
In addition to his emphatic, “YEAH!” for affirmative he also says, “Gokay” for okay. So, if I say “let’s go to the car.” He might say, “gokay.” But if I ask if he wants a bunny snack (his favorite little gummy fruit treat), he will roar, “YEAH!” “Gokay” is agreement. “YEAH!” is enthusiastic positive response.
He’s also making connections. There is a song called Monkey River that Ivan likes to listen to and he asked for it by pointing at the stereo speaker and saying “Oo-oo-ah-ah ivver” which is his monkey sound followed by his approximation of “river.” It took a minute, but we figured out what he was asking for. When you figure out what he wants and give it to him, he will favor you with an enormous smile and the roar of “YEAH!”
Eric was yawning and stretching his arms up to the ceiling one morning and it looked to Ivan like cheering. Ivan smiled lifted his arms up and said, “Hoo-RAY!”
The photo at the top is Ivan and I outside after Thursday’s big flood splashing in our yard. Ivan did multiple slides into the mud which is still on his face there. It was splashtastic.