Words! Words are happening!

That's right. My little baby has branched out from "mama" and "daddy" and is building a little vocabulary! Today's new word was "hot." He was helping me cook dinner while daddy was in a video conference for school. He pointed at the pots and said "hot" over and over (even after they had cooled off). He was so proud of himself and so are me and daddy. He learned how to say "duck" (which sound more like "guck") and "ta dah" (which comes out as an adorable "tagah") from my mom while we were visiting for my missionary brother's homecoming. I'm pretty sure he calls my mom "nana" or sometimes just "ma" without the grand in front. Quin has also been able to say "all done" for a little while to signal that he is finished eating. He has started using it for other things too, like in the morning when he says "all done" to try to get me out of bed (all done laying in bed, mama. It's 6:30 already!) I think I heard him say "all done" when he was getting frustrated with a toy. He put it down and walked away. I was so proud he didn't throw a fit!

His first word after "daddy" and "hi" was "keys" (pronounced "tee"). We're pretty sure he is currently aspiring to be a mailman. He loves trying to put keys into locks, loves paying by the mailbox across the street, and especially enjoys putting things into bigger things. He is enthralled every time we actually see the mailman come and open up the big mailbox to put the letters in. 

Michael taught him to say "Jesus" and point at the picture we have hanging on the wall. We have been trying to have regular family prayers together and Quin has started copying us. He will fold his arms for about 3 Mississippi and will babble along with whoever is saying the prayer. He recently started saying "amen" repeatedly in the middle of the prayer to try to get us to finish it sooner. He raises both hands up when he says "amen" just like he does when he says "all done."

Michael recently asked Quin if he loved Mama and I'm pretty sure I heard Quin's response clear as a bell "what?!" We hope he will learn how to say "I love you" soon. 

With his new talking skill has come some others. He loves to sit at the table with us and drink out of an open cup. At lunch he was focusing all his mental powers and dexterity to get noodles to stay on his plastic fork all the way up to his mouth.

During one meal he crawled up onto the bench next to me and scooted closer until we touched. We're weaning right now and I've been trying to hold him while he eats table food to get in extra cuddles. 

I love the stage/age he is at right now and I think Quin loves it too. :)