I sense a shift in the force.
Moms, I have learned, often have a sixth sense when it comes to a developmental leap in their young.
I saw the signs before he started to roll over, before he began to crawl and before he took his first steps.
And now, my Mommy senses are tingling and telling me my toddler's first words are imminent.
In the past week, there has been a spike in frustration as he points to objects he wants and grunts. At first, it was just something he wanted handed to him, but now his wishes are more complicated.
Does that grunt mean he wants his shoes put on? Or does he just want them out of his way? Does he want to share his toys? Or does he want me to put them together (just so he can take them apart).
And then there is the ever-increasing interest in our dog.
Our poor German shepherd has been through so much in the past 14 months. First, a tiny, screaming infant usurped him. His playtime was drastically reduced as work and baby schedules took priority.
Then our older dog, his companion, died. Finally, he has become the resident jungle gym for our little one, who thinks the dog is some sort of animated toy. The fur gets pulled, the body gets tackled, little hands go into the mouth — but he never loses his patience.
It's always surprising to me that all creatures in the animal kingdom have instincts. It happened to me when I became a mother, and it happened with our pets, as they knew a shift had occurred in the household upon bringing the baby home.
And now another adjustment is about to take place, as the “dah!” and “uya!” our little one utters become real words, with real meaning. His understanding is expanding at an amazing rate as he helps bring in groceries (OK, one item taken out of the bag and then dragged down the hall), fetches a book from the shelf and sits on my lap and runs after me as I call him from his room.
My ears and heart are open as I eagerly await his first word. I can just picture it now. He will concentrate really hard, slowly open his mouth … and say … “da-da.”
— Sarah Leach is content editor for The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at (616) 546-4278 or sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com.
Moms, I have learned, often have a sixth sense when it comes to a developmental leap in their young.
I saw the signs before he started to roll over, before he began to crawl and before he took his first steps.
And now, my Mommy senses are tingling and telling me my toddler's first words are imminent.
In the past week, there has been a spike in frustration as he points to objects he wants and grunts. At first, it was just something he wanted handed to him, but now his wishes are more complicated.
Does that grunt mean he wants his shoes put on? Or does he just want them out of his way? Does he want to share his toys? Or does he want me to put them together (just so he can take them apart).
And then there is the ever-increasing interest in our dog.
Our poor German shepherd has been through so much in the past 14 months. First, a tiny, screaming infant usurped him. His playtime was drastically reduced as work and baby schedules took priority.
Then our older dog, his companion, died. Finally, he has become the resident jungle gym for our little one, who thinks the dog is some sort of animated toy. The fur gets pulled, the body gets tackled, little hands go into the mouth — but he never loses his patience.
It's always surprising to me that all creatures in the animal kingdom have instincts. It happened to me when I became a mother, and it happened with our pets, as they knew a shift had occurred in the household upon bringing the baby home.
And now another adjustment is about to take place, as the “dah!” and “uya!” our little one utters become real words, with real meaning. His understanding is expanding at an amazing rate as he helps bring in groceries (OK, one item taken out of the bag and then dragged down the hall), fetches a book from the shelf and sits on my lap and runs after me as I call him from his room.
My ears and heart are open as I eagerly await his first word. I can just picture it now. He will concentrate really hard, slowly open his mouth … and say … “da-da.”
— Sarah Leach is content editor for The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at (616) 546-4278 or sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com.
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