Baby Einstein?

Caution:  Braggadocious mother ahead!!

I've read it in my Oprah newsletters, so it must be true - there are times when it's okay to brag!  I don't think there is anything wrong with bragging about your child's successes at any and all levels of success, so here goes....!

This week has been INSANE!  Ryne and I both have sinus infections.  Ryne has a dash of fluid in his ear and I have a dash of seasonal asthma!  Yippee!  Don't we make a pair!

Tuesday, I took Ryne to the pediatrician to get his runny nose, etc., checked out.  He was being a total "cranky budget" as Dr. P called him!  He kept wanting to pull the roll of paper (you know that paper they make you sit on), he wanted to crawl under the chairs and then he got sight of his "ba ba" and pointed to it saying"my ba ba!"  Wait.  What?!  He would take a sip and then throw it down, so I'd put it back up and then he'd point up to the table again and say "my ba ba."  I thought my mind was playing tricks on me.  Children don't usually say two-word phrases until closer to 24 months old.  Ryne is 13 1/2 months.  I didn't mention this to Dr. P because I figured Ryne would never say it when some other sound-minded person was around, especially not if I wanted him to!  I didn't want Dr. P to think I was one of those mothers that thinks their child uber advanced with language development when really they are making a burping, gurgling, pooting noise!  Even my own mother would tell me when Ronnie started walking, talking, etc., and every time she told the same story, Ronnie magically became one month younger.  Next time he will be walking by 2 months and doing long division at  4 months!
[side note:  Hi Mom!  You know you're guilty of this!  Dad will back me up!]
[cue Mom:  scoffing, huffing, acting taken aback, denying and then saying she will kick my butt next time she sees me!] :)

Anywho, I called Mom and told her about Ryne's first two-word phrase.   I called Adam and told him, and he always acts like he doesn't believe me and I truly thought he didn't...until Ryne said it again that night when Adam was home!  Ha!  Now I had another lucid individual who heard and confirmed that Ryne said "my ba ba" in reference to his bottle!  Wednesday came and went with no "my ba ba"s.

Thursday, I had to go to the doctor's office for my sinus infection, so I took Ryne to Kingston to stay with Mom and Dad for a bit!  Thanks again Mom! Ryne kept trying to pull the computer cord out of the wall at Mom's so he was hearing "No!" quite a bit, probably no more than usual, but from other people other than me and Adam.  So when I brought Ryne home, he started walking around the house saying "oh no" over and over.  It was out of context, but it was another two-word phrase.  I figured that one wasn't really much to right home about, even though I did call Mom and Adam and Jo Ann and post it on Facebook - you know, no biggie!

Thursday afternoon, I taught Ryne the Knock Knock game as I like to call it.  Ryne has a weird fascination with the vacuum.  He's scared of it, but wants to touch it.  So sometimes he freaks out and runs when I get it out of the closet and sometimes he squeals with excitement.  He knows it is kept in our great room closet, and he kept walking over to the closet and crying because he wanted inside the closet. So I told (and showed him) that he had to knock knock knock to open the door.  He picked that up pretty quick.  I mean who wouldn't want to beat on a door with permission!  Then when I opened it he got really excited and pointed at the vacuum and then he said "bye bye" with hand motion so I closed the door.  Of course he immediately wanted it open again, so he had to knock knock knock.  I kept saying "vacuum" over and over again when he would point to it or touch it.  Then he would say "bye bye" again and I'd close the door.  This went on for about an hour!  He now calls the vacuum a "back."

So this morning he wanted to play the Knock Knock game.  And when he wanted me to close the door he said something that sounded like "goodbye."  I was so excited that he might have learned another new word with proper context!  So we kept knocking, opening, and bye byeing.  Then he started saying "go bye bye."  So you know I was excited to hear Ryne's third two-word phrase within a four-day period!  Then again while making his first morning bottle, Ryne said "my ba ba" while standing, looking and patiently waiting for his bottle.  I said "yes, this is your ba ba" in such a casual conversational tone and then it hit me - he said "my ba ba" again!  So I grabbed the video camera for a bit of evidence, which I will post.  [note he only says "my ba" in the video, but you get the idea!]

Now, why am I oozing with brag?  Like I mentioned before, the general rule for language development for children is one word by one year and two-word phrases by two years old.  So it appears Ryne is kind of advanced in language development.  I did go back to school a few years ago to take some Speech Pathology classes, so I remember a little from class.  (I am one class shy of having a second Bachelor's degree in another major that has no job prospects if you only have a Bachelor's degree!  Whoo Hoo! - sarcastic brag).  I asked a friend of mine who is finishing her last semester in the Master's program to come see what she thinks of Ryne's language development. So we shall see...but in the mean time I'm rejoicing in my blessings of sweet baby words!

If it looks like Ryne is truly "advanced" (even though I kind of don't like that word because it's all God's timing for each individual child) I'm totally going to bust out the flash cards and Baby Can Read. I don't believe in holding children back, except the times he tries to reach for the doorknob and lock me out of the house.  [note to self:  carry a house key at all times!]