Here are Ethan's first words:
He also makes these animal sounds:
Ethan also has learned to shake his head no. It is so cute, because he does it rapidly. Sometimes, he just shakes no, even though he could mean yes.
~ posted by Beth
Today I came home to a free concert that Beth and her friend Erin were putting on for the neighbors. That is to say, they were practicing their violin duets on the deck out back. They are excellent musicians, so I couldn’t resist juxtaposing the end of “Ode to Joy” with a few bars of my ending on the harmonica, which I picked up a few weeks ago. Beth, being such a good sport, not only didn’t complain, but asked me to play a song for Erin.
At the end, we heard a distant clapping sound. It was Ethan, standing in his crib where he had recently been put down for a nap, looking out his upstairs window and applauding. I’m sure he must like the classics on violin, but it was “Skip to My Lou” on harmonica that garnered his accolades.
Some good news came a few minutes later, when he finally did applaud for the string duet. More good news followed in a few more minutes, when the fine melodies finally soothed him to sleep.
I would call this the non-competitive version: no counting to ten, just take turns running and hiding behind something until you’re discovered. We were at Grandma’s house, the same house where Beth grew up, with some of the same toys (including the Fisher-Price Movie Viewer). These pictures remind me of ones of her when she was Ethan’s age.
A couple years ago at the County Fair, Beth introduced me to a coffee and chocolate ice cream drink called a Frappe. I became an instant fan. Today, I introduced Ethan to the drink, and he too really liked it. I got the Frappe to go in a plastic cup with a lid, which meant he also got his first taste of drinking through a straw. I didn’t know whether he’d figure out the suction, but I soon saw the liquid moving up the straw followed by evidence on his lips. He only had a sip, and fortunately, he was content with that; coffee and ice cream aren’t exactly on Ethan’s recommended menu.
A few days ago, when I was holding Ethan and getting him pajamas from the chifforobe, he motioned toward the hanger and made his characteristic sound of wanting something. I wondered what he had in mind, but didn’t pursue the matter at the time. However, this evening when he did the same thing, I set him down and asked him what he wanted. He stepped into the chifforobe and, reaching about about five garments deep, pulled out his red one-piece animal pajamas. I don’t think he’d warn since before summer, but they were definitely what he wanted, so he’s got them on now.
Ethan still likes playing peek-a-boo. He covers his eyes, and I pretend I can’t find him. Then he uncovers, and I still tend to look around for a while before I discover that he’s visible again. He really likes that second part, and now he’s become part of the act. Taking the idea from when I’d make a sound to help him find me during chase and hide, today, he started making little sounds during peek-a-boo to cue me in to his revealed presence.
His part was to rake a pile of the grass remnants into a more compact pile. He also helped unload the wheelbarrow for a few seconds before I told him not to. Then we worked on refilling the wheelbarrow.
Ethan loves to chase and be chased, and he is particularly amused when he chases me around a corner where I pop out to surprise him. Today, he used that tactic himself: as I was chasing him through the French doorway from the piano room to the fireplace room, he tucked in tightly along the far side. When I came through, he gave me my surprise, toddling and giggling along the way.
Ethan and I were playing in the backyard with a half-sized soccer ball. His first reaction was to pick it up and throw it. Then, I demonstrated how I kick it, and helped him do the same. He learns quickly: right after that he was kicking it about six feet away all on his own.
Ethan has been more maneuverable lately, including turning around in circles. When Mommy sees him do this, she lets him know that what he’s doing is called spinning. Along with his mobility, Ethan’s language comprehension has also been noticeably increasing. The physical and mental came together shortly after he surprised us by walking backward. Beth asked him if he could show me how he can spin around… and he did.
Beth, Ethan, and I were out in the field beyond the back yard, down by the river, having a lazy time along the path on this beautiful summer day. Ethan had been walking around, checking out the wildflowers. Then, for his own secret reasons, he decided to do something new by walking backwards. He was facing us and walked away about six feet along the path.
Ethan doesn’t say many words, but he likes to say his favorite, Mama. It used to be he’d say it in response to first hearing the word, but more recently he’s been initiating, as he did this afternoon after his nap. This prompted me to make up a little melody with just the word Mama, around a dozen notes long, just for fun. I thought I was merely providing an entertaining sound for him to listen to, but was I ever surprised when he repeated the melody back to me, matching my rhythm and relative pitches.
