Deep breath...

Hi, everyone. Sorry for the long lapse.

We've been incredibly busy. I want to at least get something posted to get this ball rolling again.

The rate of change in Theo's abilities is still astonishing to me. Every week he has small changes and at least every month we get a total baby upgrade.

Our latest delight is Theo's sudden grasp of language. About 3 weeks ago it became apparent that he understands nearly everything that I usually say. When I say "Let's go upstairs for a diaper change" he rattles the stair gate. When I say "What do you want for a snack?" he yells and gestures towards the part of the counter that he knows has the bananas. When I say "It's time to feed the bunnies" he grins and runs for the refrigerator, waiting for me to open it so he can pull the lettuce out of the crisper. The real clue that he was up on his vocabulary was when I'd say things conversationally to Greg and Theo would react. "I need to sweep up in here" sends Theo to the closet for the broom, and "I left the box outside" leads to Theo demanding a walk at the front door. You don't need to speak slowly or put strong inflection on key words.

He's also begun to talk. Most of his "words" sound the same to the untrained ear - variations on "gah". I can recognize many different specific words that he uses every time he sees specific objects.

Theo's nap is over - more later.