First Words!

And his first word was...(drumroll)...Elmo! This photo was taken right after Mike & I heard Ben say it. But it wasn't the first time he said it. Earlier this week, my folks babysat while Mike & I went out to dinner in Lancaster. They got him ready for bed and popped in his Elmo movie on DVD, just like we do every night (he watches the first ten or fifteen minutes over and over). When we got home, my parents insisted that Ben had said "Elmo." I did not believe them. Then a couple nights later, Mike was going through the same before-bed routine. And we heard it. He definitely said "Elmo" when Elmo first appeared on the TV screen. I finally believed Nana & Pap!

Since then, Ben has said "Elmo" several more times, sometimes just getting out "Elm." But we know he's talking, and it's not just random sounds anymore. Plus he's said some other words: mama, dada, and up. My folks insist he said "Hi Mom" but I'm not convinced that was intentional (though Mike has been persuaded that he really said it). Ben is also trying to say words like cat, car, and banana. He repeats the first sounds over and over. He has had a couple of speech therapy sessions, and we have several more scheduled before we move. I am so excited to go to his next session and report on his progress! Oh, and he's finally signing things I've been trying to teach him for months.