Say What?

It is strange... it's like Chase somehow knows that he just turned one and now all of a sudden his language skills are taking off. That's not to say that he's actually SAYING anything, but it is becoming quite clear that he understands what we are saying to him. His only word (if you can call it that) at this point is "dah" which is always accompanied by him pointing at something, so the loose translation of "dah" is "what's that?" (at least the best I can tell).

The spoken word aside, he does seem to know how to use certain motions to respond to what we are saying. For example, if you tell him to say good bye to someone, he'll wave enthusiasticly (same being true for "hi"). If you ask him if he's "all done", he will shake his hands (sign language for "all done"). This gets confusing at times because he knows shaking his hands is the correct response, but it doesn't always mean that he's actually all done eating. Sometimes he is (which becomes quite clear when he starts throwing food if you leave his tray within arm's reach), and sometimes he'll wave his hands and then keep eating. Oh well.

His favorite, I believe, is giving high fives. If you ask him for a high five and hold your hand out, he will slap it with all his might and then start giggling.

Every once in awhile, I'll swear that he says "mama" (especially when he's crying because I've had the nerve to close the door on him when I go to take a shower) or "dada" (similar context) or "Ry-ry". One night I swore he said "bye-bye, Ry-ry" when I told him to say good night to his big brother before I took him up to bed. Not sure if he actually knows those words or not, but either way, it sure is fun to be able to communicate with him. His sweet little voice is music to my ears (the crying and screaming as his only means of communication were not).