My Spirtual Child

Dave has been making use of his electric guitar a lot lately in our worship services on Sundays. I'm really proud of him because he's doing an amazing job learning the songs and making them sound really good and also doing it in a worshipful way. With him practicing so much at home and listening to the songs in the car when we drive, Micah has learned all the songs as well. It's adorable how he loves to sing all these worship songs. He has his own name for each of them . His favorites are: "Then Sings My Soul" (How Great Thou Art by Paul Baloche), "Hojanna" (Hosanna by Hillsong), "Halleluia" (Holy is our God by Starfield), "Oh Praise the One Who" (Jesus Paid it All by Kristian Stanfill), and "At the Cross" (Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle).

I've also been listening to a CD in my car with hymns that have been redone and Micah loves some of the songs. It took me little while to figure out which ones he was meaning. He especially loves "Hoorise" (Arise my soul arise). The other one that I just figured out yesterday was "That thumb my got chew" which is .... can you guess? No? And Can It Be! Of course! You know the line that says "That Thou my God shoulds't die for me"? He took the first 5 words of that line and that's what he calls the song.

He loves to read his Toddler Bible at night and always asks to read the "Light" (In the beginning), the story of the Rainbow (Noah and the Flood) and then the "Owwies" which is Moses and the Plagues. Also, his prayers at night are SO cute. Dave is usually the one to put Micah to bed and he's been telling me everything Micah is thankful for, but I've gotten to experience it first hand lately because Dave's been out a couple nights in a row. Micah is still always first and foremost thankful for his 2 best buddies Ty Ty and Brady, but then he goes into being thankful for Mario kitty cat, grandma and grandpa, mommy and daddy, Daddy's computer, Mommy's computer, the TV Remote and the TV, the headboard for his bed, etc, etc. I wish I could remember everything, but at least there's a few.

Baby Talk

Micah is saying a lot more these days. He's learning sign language better each day, too. He would probably be able to say a lot more if I knew more signs to teach him! He loves to have music on when he's in his high chair so he asks for it saying "eh duh" looking and pointing to the ipod on top of the fridge, so I learned what the sign for music was and now he points, says "eh duh" and does the sign. He tries to sign diaper change and he's trying to sign "I love you". It's pretty cute watching him learn. I have a long list of words he says, I'll try to capture them here:

His most recent words:
Bee = Bee (he's got a little windup toy)
Ooo-ee = Willie (his teddy bear)
Cuckee = Cookie (along with the sign)
behbee = Baby
GOLL! = GOAL!

He loves to sing, too. He loves the songs Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Old McDonald Had a Farm. He sings "Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba Ba" (Up above the world so high) and "Ee I Ee I Oh". He also likes The Itsy Bitsy Spider and tries to make the hand motions. He listens to his toys over and over and over again if they have any of those songs.

His words that he has said for a while now:
Na na na na = no no no no
Papa = Papa (or any slightly older man anywhere followed occasionally by kissing sounds)
Kee Kah = Kitty Cat followed usually by a Maow (meow or Mario) and/or kissing sounds
bah = ball, help, please
mah = milk, phone
moh = more
mama, dada, dadee
eah = yeah
guh bah = good night, good bye, the end
dah dah deeee! = one two three!
geay = get it
cuppa cuppa cuppa cu-ckee = cookie monster (not sure why...)
na = banana (with sign) or tissue (to wipe his nose)

arms out = where did it go? where is it?
der dizz = there it is!

This child continually astounds me!

It is amazing what Micah is learning and picking up on these days. For about a month now he's been saying a lot more than just ball, although that is still the favorite thing to say and the favorite thing to play with or sleep with. And still the very first thing he says when he wakes up, whether it is in the morning or after his nap - with a very cute and groggy voice. :)

But he's saying "Kee kat" and gets excited about the kitty cats and he YELLS "DADA" when he hears the garage door open and then he goes over to the door so he will be ready to show Daddy what he found (surprise! A ball!). He Meows like the cat when he hears the cat meow, but it sounds like "mum" when he does it. He doesn't really say "mama" yet, but I don't work on it with him either. I don't talk much in the third person to him.

It continually amazes us, too, what he understands. Ever since he could crawl, which was around 5 months, we taught him not to go toward the fireplace and he would shake his head if something rolled near it. He knows not to throw the balls that are hard and he knows not to push his sippy cup around on the floor (but he still does sometimes). I will ask him to put his cup on the table and he does it. A while ago, maybe two months ago, we were getting ready to leave and he had his socks in his hand, so I asked him to bring them over to me so I could put them on his feet. Dave and I were both shocked that he came right over to me with them in his hand. That was at 12 months! It is so easy to underestimate what your child comprehends. He growls like a lion when he sees one in a book. He points out balls or cats in books using his words. He loves his books again now and will constantly bring me a book throughout the day so I will read it to him.
He says "ma" for milk or more, but I know which one he means because he points. He still does sign language for those sometimes, but I think he is realizing that it's quicker just to say it. He signs "eat" at breakfast time or when I ask him if he wants to eat lunch or dinner. He knows to find a ball or two and go to the stairs when I say it's bedtime and he does the sign for "sleep" when he's tired and ready to go to bed. When I smell a stinky diaper, I tell him I need to change his diaper and he giggles and runs away from me (as if it's really comfortable to be running around like that!). He signs help, please and thank you, and he is starting give me kisses... and run away from me when I try to kiss him!

There is a little bit of a downside - he is gaining some independence. He is starting to throw tantrums when I take something away from him. He whines throughout the day if I don't understand what he wants. If he is tired or hungry throughout the day and I don't say the word "sleep" or "eat" for him to sign, he gets a little cranky. He has always been content to play pretty well on his own, but if I don't pay much attention to him, he whines. I have been busy with Christmas baking and (earlier this month) with finishing projects as Christmas presents. But I have found that I need to sit and stack things with him or roll a ball back and forth or read stories to him throughout the day and then he's fine. He really is a lot of fun almost all the time and I'm lucky to be able to spend all day with him.