I’m writing this at the end of what I’m told is Arden’s busiest day so far. From what I saw of him (and the tornado-ravaged house) I’m inclined to agree. Mom said he delighted in pulling absolutely everything off any shelf he could find, and by the time she could pick up the first few pieces, the next shelf was well on its way to total annihilation. Needless to say I came home to one pooped Mommy and one happy little guy. Ever since I got home and woke him up from his nap he was go-go-go. We had a great time checking on the garden, pointing at each and every bird for 100 miles and getting caught up on his day.
We’ve been trying to incorporate some sign language into our daily lives, since it seems babies have the capacity to understand communication, but not the adroit control over vocal cords necessary to speak. Arden has really been taking to these quite well. We’re getting very clear signs for “milk”, “eat” and, believe it or not, “airplane”. (He gets so excited when he hears one coming close) Signs for “more” and “drink” are coming along pretty well, the former becoming much more distinguishable every day from his new favorite trick, clapping. For the uninitiated, the sign for “more” is to tap both hands together, at the fingertips with a pinched hand (photo from http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/m/more.htm). The addition of signs to our daily lives has been a godsend to both Arden and his mother and me. It’s great being able to eliminate some guesswork.
Late last week we took Arden to the local park and gave him a little bit to ride in the swing. He really seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, but was also moderately distractible. Especially when the local puppies came to visit.
