"Taykul pees" and other games

For those of you keeping track at home (you know, memorizing the list and all), Owen's vocabulary has grown like gangbusters. We try really hard to keep a list of all his new words, mainly so we can record the oh-so-cute pronunciation, but also because the number of words is hard to believe without actually writing them down. I wouldn't believe it otherwise! However, we may be done with the list-making since it is useless to try and keep up. That said, I give you our latest attempt at an update HERE. The words in red are new since the last vocabulary post.

The coolest language development of late has been the appearance of 2 and 3 word phrases. When the garage door goes up..."Daddy hom!" When the bowl is empty..."mo cookies!" When he drops or spills something..."mess! Key kup!" (mess, clean up) Or like this morning, an entire weather narration:

Owen: (at his table eating breakfast, looking outside) "Win!"
"Weese!" (showing the accompanying signs for "wind" and "leaf")
Me: "Yes. It's very windy. The leaves are blowing all around."
Owen: "Cold...side." (showing sign for cold)
Me: (laughing) "You think it's cold outside?"
Owen: "Cold."

Those moments where it feels like we're approaching an actual conversation are surreal.

A new family favorite is a little game that Owen calls "Taykul pees." Translated, this means "Tickle, please." He approaches with a little grin, touches his ribs and says "taykul pees." Of course this results in a full-on, belly-laugh-inducing, tickle fest that can go on forever. We tire of it far before he does. But, how do you pass up a request to "taykul pees?"

Another new game is "Get it...pees." At night, when Daddy gets home from work, Owen will ask to go upstairs to his "kib." We put him in the crib, he gathers up his pacifiers and flings them over the rail as I make some dramatic attempt to catch them. This causes Owen to 1) laugh hysterically and 2) point to a fallen pacifier and tell me to "Get it!" The "pees" sometimes comes after prompting, sometimes on its own. "Get it...pees" has become a nightly favorite. See a round of it here.

Speaking of night, another game completely created and initiated by Owen is the "nigh nigh" game. Owen says "nigh nigh!", we all drop to the floor and pretend to sleep until he says "aw done." This game can go on at different times throughout the day and is often played concurrently with a round of "get it...pees."

With each day that passes, Owen sheds a little more of his baby skin and helps us prepare for the little boy that is rapidly developing. Fingers crossed that the molting process is kind to his parents.