Lots to say

Robert will be 14 months on Tuesday, and I've found that when kids turn one year everyone wants to know if a. ) they are walking and/or b.) if they are talking.  Well we've had a big week here on both fronts.  Just this week Robert has learned to stand on his own, and even took a few tentative steps.   He is definitely on the slow side on walking, but Rob was 15 months before he walked alone, so I wasn't worried.  Plus, when you are in the 98th percentile for height and 75th for weight, that is just a lot of mass to move around.  But I think the peer pressure at school has got to him, and he's trying to catch up with the big kids.  He also really started verbalizing this week.  Here's a partial list of Robert's words, with the grown up translation:

Da (socks)

Do (Dog)

Do (Down)

Do (Duck)

Da (Dad)

Nnnnn (Sound doggie makes)

Nana (banana)

Oh ah ah ah (Sound monkey makes)

Dada (Dad, or Doggie, or Down NOW!)

Bu (Book)

Mama (Mama, I want, help, It's dark, come get me...)

No No (I'm going to touch something I shouldn't)

Uh oh (I just threw something on the floor and want you to pick it up)

Fortunately, the signing rounds out his needs.  He signs "eat," "drink," (I just figured out what that was-- he points his finger at his mouth, instead of making the ASL cup sign) "all done," "more," "banana," "brush teeth," "wash hands," and  "dog" reliably, and sometimes "apple" and "water" (which looks a lot like his "drink").  We're going to continue with the signing because he really seems to like it, and it turns out that I do too.  There is a huge school for the deaf in our neighborhood, and it would be great if Robert could make use of that resource as he gets older.