Advanced comunications

Well the conversation has begun. What he is saying....mostly we have no idea. But there are those brief moments of actual advanced communication that demonstrate choices being made.

Several days ago August and I (Mama) were walking to the mail box, when he stopped and began to search the ground for some desired object. I waited a moment but the pickings seemed slim since the yard crew had been through in that morning. So I asked so I picked up a twig from an upper bed and said, " August, do you want a stick?" he turned and looked so I proffered the stick saying, "Here, take this stick." He squinted his eyes and looked hard at me and the stick, then shook his head "no" then said "Rock!" And proceeded to bend over and pick up a rock. Then took my hand and we were on our way.

Yesterday we were walking home on our evening stroll and we were nearing a street so I instructed August to take my hand. He shook his head no and ran. (the negative head shake is very popular right now). I scooped him up and the tantrum ensued. I walked with him tucked under my arm while he screamed and flailed for a moment. Then he yelled "UP!" so I asked if he wanted up and he replied calmer with "up". Once I had him upright on my hip, he pointed at the ground and said "down". So I told him if he wanted down he had to hold my hand. He shook his head no and just settled into riding on my hip and chattered away about who knows what the rest of the way to the house.

Tonight, verbalized an answer to a direct question for the first time. Usually if he says a word and we repeat it and prompt him to repeat himself, he clams up. But tonight. we were walking home from dinner and he stopped to watch some cars. I described the cars and said vroom vroom (which is how he says car to us. If there is a car in one of his books he will point and say vroom vroom.) He repeated vroom vroom. We walked a bit further and a big pickup truck went by catching his attention. I said "that was a big truck. What did the truck say?" He turned and looked at me and said "VROOM VROOM!!!!" with a huge smile then took off down the side walk toward home.