HAPP-y! (Birth day?)

We have been so amused lately by Caedmon's ever-increasing ability to repeat what we say, sometimes remembering words and using them on his own later. Even more than what he is able to communicate to us is what he understands, both in our conversations with him and with others. After he mimicked several things that I'd said one day this week, I jokingly asked him if he was a little parrot, and without missing a beat, his reply was a confident squawk! (There is a picture of a parrot in one of his books and we make the sound when we see the picture - even though we haven't read that book in several weeks, he apparently remembered it!)

Although his vocabulary is growing rapidly, our favorite thing to hear from Caedmon's lips is "thank you," which sometimes sounds more like "kan koo." He's used it appropriately without our prompting a few times now, which is even more fun. Although, a few nights ago I was combing his hair after his bath (not his favorite thing) and when I finished, Daniel suggested he thank me. He did - but it was the saddest, yet sweetest "kan koo" I've ever heard!

Our little guy is also starting to have very strong feelings about what he does and doesn't want. He usually doesn't ponder long to give a confident "yes" (more accurately, "yeah" - we're working on that!) or "no" answer to our questions. He has also become more interested in what he is wearing, sometimes refusing one pair of shoes for another or insisting that we put (and leave) socks on him, no matter how warm it is. One day recently he found a pair of Daniel's black dress socks and felt it was absolutely necessary for him to have one on - even when it was time to go outside and play. Any attempt on our part to remove it was met with strong resistance...so...he and Daniel had a grand time playing in the yard with the sock in place, even though our neighbors came over to check on him, concerned that he had hurt his leg!




One of Caedmon's new favorite things is to sing "Happy Birthday." My birthday was last Sunday, and he and Daniel surprised me with a delicious homemade breakfast in bed of Belgian buttermilk waffles with glazed bananas (oh my!) and fresh fruit. As they were bringing the tray of food down the hall, I could hear Caedmon saying "Happ! Happ!" At first I thought he was saying "help," as in, he was wanting to help carry something, but then I realized they'd been practicing "Happy birthday." Whenever he hears it sung, he gets excited, chimes in occasionally with "Happ!" and sometimes even the whole word, emphasizing the first syllable - "HAPP-y!" He's never strung together the whole phrase, but since this song has now made it into our naptime and bedtime repertoire, I've heard him say "HAPP-y day!" and include "Mama" and "Duck" as who we were singing to. His favorite part is the end, though, because he gets to clap and say "yay!" every time.

Ironically, as we've been singing the birthday song all week, we continue to have to guess and wonder when our newest family member will be joining us. Today, June 5, is our official due date, but as of yesterday our little baby was showing no signs of an imminent arrival. A sonogram revealed an estimated weight of 8 lbs 2 oz. We're thankful to have such a healthy, growing baby, but hope that he or she will decide to join us soon so that blessed event can occur without the help of another cesarean. We've been amazed to watch all the kicks and wiggles coming from the inside and are ready to see those teeny toes and sweet face in person!