(Ana having a walk and enjoying Charlotte's 1 year birthday party.)
Ana Uku climbed up onto the bed last night! I was already impressed that she always turned feet first and got down from the bed so easily but now she can climb up. What did I discover when she climbed up into bed all by herself? A fourth tooth! All four middle teeth, two up and two down, are there. Granted, one is just barely poking out of the gum.
And now, for a super special moment meant for a man who loves his children and motorcycles. Enzo Raines was sitting on the toilet and flipping through a book of motorcycles while I brushed my teeth. It's from the pictures on this book of motorcycles that I taught Enzo the words front, back, and side as I pointed to the bikes and then rubbed his belly, back, and side to match the words. It's also the book I taught Enzo to flip like a flip book where the pages go fast while a thumb moves along the slightly arched book pages. He loves when we do that. So, he was looking at bikes and flipping the pages like a flip book when Ana comes walking in and goes up to her brother who was sitting on the toilet. And then something so cool happened.
Enzo holds the book open, points to the back of a motorcycle and repeats in a soft teacher voice "back, back, back." and Ana says "back." I know! So cool! Enzo did it several more times and Ana copied! My son is so teaching my daughter and he is using a motorcycle book to do it!!
Super cool. Super super cool. Loved watching it. Loved listening to it. So f'n cool!
So does Ana talk? As with Enzo, I don't know when it's officially talking. I don't know for sure when to say Ana is saying her first word (for the second time). I will say that she says "Mama" all the time. That has been going on for a couple of weeks now. She knows it means a parent but she uses it currently to mean Tami or me. So I guess she is saying a word but she hasn't defined it as specific as she could. None the less, I guess I should say that Mama is her second "First Word." In case you don't already know, she said "bye bye" appropriately and more than once back at Christmas time but then never said it again in the new year. That was her first "First Word." but Mama is actually sticking. Also, she is copying more and more words and word sounds but Mama is the one she will initiate on her own when she wants her Mama, sees her Mama, and occasionally when she is talking to me and wants me to pick her up. My favorite response when she calls me Mama? "Pronk!" That's a joke that you will only understand when you read the Spanish version of "Are you my mother?"
To sum up; Ana and Enzo have added more to my life than I could have imagined.
And for your additional amusement, here are the photo and words Tami texted me yesterday at work.
"Look at his feet. He wanted to wear his boots today but could only find one before we left."