Full steam ahead

Proof that "Hollis was here"

Hollis is on the verge of that thing experts call the "word explosion." In addition to "mama," he's also added better enunciation of his old words (there is a definite difference between "duck" and "dog" now, for example) and he's learning a word about every other day this week.

Last week, the new word was "fish," (pronounced "bah" for those of you who don't know Hollisese) and of course, "MAMA!" This week it's "star" (like those we find in Goodnight Moon and on his Chucks), "Lola," "more," "milk" (both signed and spoken), and "car."

I've loved every moment of his silent trek through our lives, but I'm really looking forward to what he has to say, what he's thinking, etc. By and large I spend a great amount of my time filling in the blanks regarding what's going on in his big head. It helps immensely, of course, that every fleeting emotion, need, or desire is physically expressed, but talking will add another element of understanding between us. Yay!

In addition to the language stuff, he's also anticipating more things. He gets excited earlier and earlier on our drives over to my mom and Terry's. He used to start squawking in excitement as we parked in their driveway, then it was the last turn to their street, then it was at the last stop light, and now it's a good 5 minutes before we pull up in front of their house and he's freaking out with sheer joy. I feel terrible when we go straight instead of turning left and he ends up at the grocery store with me. Oh well, good to get him used to a little disappointment, right?

When I ask him if he's hungry I know he is when he runs screaming to his high chair grabs at the straps and tres to clamor up.

When I tell him to get a book he grabs one then runs to the rocker in his room and pats the seat waiting for me to sit down and pull him on my lap.

When I ask him if he wants a cookie he immediately drops whatever it is he's doing and runs to his kitchen zone and shuts the door and spazzes out until a cookie is in his chubby little hands because his zone used to be the only place I'd give him a cookie.

I've taken him to the grocery store right around snack time so many times that as soon as he sees a shopping cart, regardless of whether he's just eaten or not, he starts making the "hungry" sign and I gotta make it happen with whatever I can dig out of my purse, usually a handy banana.

He's also applying what he's seen. He's obsessed with toilet paper and will interchange sniffing his nose and patting it with a wad of tissue and using the same wad to "wash" the windows and any flat surface he can find.

And just today, he discovered the intense satisfaction a wee one can get from flushing random objects down the toilet. In his virgin expedition into this new form of entertainment it was an innocuous leaf, but I expect many more creative voyages in the future lest Anthony and I return the Lid-Loks to their rightful places.

It is a wide world of firsts and wonderment. He's getting to that age where he'll appreciate seeing a real cow up close, or a tractor. It is fucking beautiful, this wonderment in him. It's inspiring, consoling, reassuring, and humbling. It's a reminder to me to keep striving to be the best me I can muster, to never stop learning, to lead by example, and to be kind to myself and others.

I'll leave it at that.