Chins seems to be developing at an alarming rate, every day making him less like a little baby and more like a real person. d.w. hates it when I put it that way, but it's true. Babies are way more like really expensive, demanding, adorable pets than anything else. Sort of like a cage-free diaper-wearing chinchilla.
Sorry, I'm getting off track.
We've made kind of a half-hearted attempt to teach Chins some signs so that he can better communicate with us, but so far the only one he's really picked up is "light", which has become the sign he gives us for fan, window, cat, dog, tv, Mom, Dad, car, tree, food, and various other things. It has kind of metamorphosed into an all-encompassing motion for anything remotely interesting to an 11-month-old. Thankfully it kind of resembles a wave, so it is at least a moderately natural sign to give, rather than something requiring a synchronized flourish of both arms followed by a twirl on the balls of his feet. This way strangers just think he's waving at them, which I suppose he is, in his way.
And while Chins may be a little slow in the ol' language department, I've taken to calling him Bubba, because of his penchant for having long one-sided conversations with a variety of inanimate objects. He just sits there syaing, "buh buh buh buh buh", occasionally switching it up with a forceful "N'duh!" or a high pitched "Awoo!" And he's tantalizingly close to his first real word, reserving "ma ma ma ma ma" for when he is looking up a d.w., unhappy about something or other. I've figured out that "ma ma ma ma ma" is a call to the righter of wrongs, the healer of misery, the wiper of bums. But that's what language is all about, isn't it?
Oh, and he's so close to walking. He totally could if he really applied himself. It's all mental at this point. He can stand on his own until he realizes he's standing, then he's like, "Oh shit, I'm standing!" and crumples to the floor. He has this little cart thing he pushes around the house, which seems to be building his confidence a bit. We'll see. The cats are eyeing him with a degree of alarm these days, knowing their days freely wandering the house are numbered
But you now what makes Chins the most proud? His impressive facility for climbing stairs. Especially since we have none in our house, at least where he can get to them. There is little he likes better then going to the playground, showing off for anyone who will watch. We're going to have to be careful with this one.
Wow, he's doing a lot of growing up all at once. I'm amazed at how they can learn so many different skills at the same time: language, walking, finding danger, etc.
Posted by: Papa Bradstein | 16 October 2007 at 01:56 PM
In that first photo, he looks like he is getting ready to jazzercize in those legwarmers :-)
Posted by: Danielle in Iowa | 17 October 2007 at 01:31 PM
Oh how I love him so.
*sigh*
Posted by: samantha Jo Campen | 18 October 2007 at 08:53 PM
I found your blog through Daddy Types and love it. And I'm so happy to see that we're not the only ones with a ginormous baby (14 pounds at 8 weeks - and growing!). I'm also a biologist, and appreciate your observations on raising a wee one with a healthy sense of humor and respect for the natural world. Kudos!
Posted by: natalie | 22 October 2007 at 01:14 PM
That "Oh shit, I'm standing!" moment is priceless. And those cats need to start scoping out hidey-holes NOW.
Posted by: henitsirk | 28 October 2007 at 06:47 PM