First Words

Ryan is 13 months old, and still isn't really talking much.  He babbles incessantly, points to things, and he likes to say "badja-badja-BAAAH!" (whatever that means), but he just hasn't started talking in any way that anyone else can understand.  I realize that Colin was unusually verbal, so I'm not comparing him, but by a year I really thought Ryan would be talking a little.  I know he has understood us for a long time, so I'm not worried about anything developmental, it is just the way he works.  He won't do something at all, then suddenly it is GAME ON!  That being said, I know that it is just a matter of time before Ryan decides he wants to talk, and then I'm going to wonder why I wasn't just enjoying a moment of silence!

How do I know Ryan understands?  Let me count the ways!

1. If you call his name and he's in another room he'll come over.
2. If you ask him to get a book he'll walk over, grab a book from the bookshelf and bring it to you.
3. He'll climb the bottom two stairs, turn to me, wag his finger (as if to say "no-no-no!" which I tell him often), and smile because he knows he shouldn't be there.  
4. He does the same with our wine rack - he'll pick a bottle (usually expensive!), touches the bottle (without pulling it out all the way), looks for a reaction, then gets a naughty grin on his face and stops to wag his finger at me.
5. If you say "dinosaur" he'll growl
6. And he is the king of signing - using the sign-language symbol for "more" like an absolute champ to demand more Puffs
7. If you show him a photo of a bear (or lion, or tiger) he will growl and make a "clawing" motion with his right hand.

He says "mama" and "dada" but that's about it.  Until today.

This morning when Ryan and I came downstairs he noticed the kitchen wall calendar.  I just changed it over to July last night (a day late - I know.  I get to these things when I remember).  The image for July is a close-up of a bear cub swimming.  Ryan saw it, said "beaaaah" while pointing, then growled.

I'm not kidding.

I was bleary, over-tired, running a little late... and I didn't care one bit.  I took him closer to the calendar, "Bear!  Bear!  That's right, Ryan... it's a bear!"  [Ryan continued growling]  "Bear!  Beaaaar!  Bear!  You got it, little guy!  A beaaaar!"

Then, in classic Ryan fashion he attempted to say "puffs" during breakfast, signing for "more" while saying "puuuuuh!"  I know it doesn't seem like much, and he isn't getting the "r" at the end of the word so I'm probably the only one in the world who would understand him, but he's finally working on communicating so the rest of us can understand him.  Hooray!