How's the blogging going?

...my husband said to me, teasing me, the other day. Yeah, I have not posted in quite some time. I mean to, and I feel like I have a lot of thoughts and a lot to say but I just don't have the words.

Leo's babyhood is passing so quickly. So suddenly, he is one year old. He's been walking for two and a half months, he has weaned, and he comprehends and responds to so many things that we say. For example, today I was dressing him, pulling a shirt over his head and helping him push his arms through the sleeves. He was holding a small toy. Out of habit, apparently, I said "Switch hands, please," and he did. And he does. Every time. I didn't know much about parenting before I had him, but I decided early on to try to talk him through as much of the day as possible because I knew that at some point he would understand. I'm so glad I did that.

He doesn't say many words yet, still just "kitty" (dee-tee) and (sporadically) "mama" or "papa" or some form of "grandma/grandpa/nana/granddad" (deh-deh). But he knows so many words that we say and he makes animal noises, and repeats words that I say or noises that I make. When he sees the picture of my dad, he reaches out and makes a "tickling" motion at the picture ("tickle Grandpa's mustache"). When he sees a dog or hears the word "puppy," he pants like a dog. When he hears the word "Monkey," he yells "ah-ah-ah" (still working on the "oo-oo-oo," I guess). When he sees a snake, he makes sort of a vague "shcthhhschcccccshhh" sound like a hiss. When he sees a bird, he says "deet-deet-deet" - tweeting. Freaking adorable.

He dances. He dances like a madman. It is unbelievable. He whips his head from side to side with a real serious look on his face. He bounces at the knees and bumps his butt. He runs in place. It is very serious dancing. Every time he hears music. Every time.



Sometimes he sleeps through the night and it's awesome.

We love Leo. Leo loves us. When Matt leaves for work, Leo runs to the gate by the door and waves and yells "Dada!!! Dadaaaa!" Sometimes he cries, too, which is sad but also sweet. Yesterday we went to the beach. We saw our neighbor Eric from about thirty feet away and waved. Eric was carrying a surfboard. Leo smiled and yelled, "Dadaaaa!" He saw the board and thought it was his dad. Awwwww.

He is very affectionate with me and I love that.