Proud Mommy Moments

Quick story-- so you know that sound you make when you go "aaaaaaah" but lightly tap your mouth with your hand to break up the sound? The past month or 2 I've done that for D every once in a while, and he always finds it funny. Then I'll try tapping his mouth so see if he'll go "aaaah" along with it, but he'll just kinda smile and laugh and is probably thinking what a looney of a mother he has.

Well. Today we were at the park and he was happily swinging in a swing, and he was kinda babbling and I started going the "aaah" mouth-tapping thing... AND HE DID IT BACK. With his own hand and everything!! And we went back and forth like that 3 times, and he did it EACH TIME. The flirting teenagers sitting on the monkeybars must've thought I was nuts b/c I was so excited. It was just so unexpected, and it's always so cool to see him imitate something I show him.

Also, I'm counting "mama" as D's first word. It's funny, I'm not as excited about that as I am about the mouth-tapping thing, b/c this one feels kinda made up in a way. I mean, technically a baby's "first word" is when they make a certain sound and attach "meaning" to it. Seeing as he babbles constantly, and is also constantly pointing at things and doing stuff, it's kinda hard to figure out when he means anything with the babbles and when he's just babbling. "Mamamama" is probably the most common sound he makes. But today, he said a fairly clear "mama" while reaching his arms to me as I was changing his diaper. So I have made the executive decision to call this his "first word." He later went "mama" at the cat, and at his toys, and at his food, but still, I'm claiming it. Because I can. After all, I'm the Mama. ; )

Tomorrow I'll have to see if I can get him to repeat the mouth-tapping thing and catch it on video. And maybe a high-five, too...