JR is talking! Maybe this is better....JR is talking and we can understand some of what he is saying. JR has talked almost since birth. In the past year however, he has talked nonstop, with gestures and inflections, laughing at his own jokes and looking to us to understand his stories. But we were like tourists in a foreign country; we had no clue what words he was saying. He was, however, an effective communicator. We very clearly knew what he wanted and did not want. You don't need words for that! Now, in the few days that have followed his second birthday, words are coming out that we can all understand. My prediction is that now that the dam has broken, his words and stories will tumble out in rapid succession. We may wish we were still in the dark.....
It never ceases to surprise me how what we worry about the most always works out. We have been worried about JR being slower to talk for a good while. I would listen so carefully to his conversations to see if I could make meaning. Even now, he talks to himself and that is in his own language, but when he talks to us, we can understand. So many leaps in a few days. So much weight off my shoulders.
I sometimes think I worry more about my grandchildren than I did my own children. Maybe I was so caught up in the day to day that I didn't have time to step back and worry. I think that is a good thing. I do remember worrying that Matt hit his mouth so often that he would have a dead tooth for his preschool pictures. I remember that was on my mind a lot for a few days (it never happened). I remember worrying that one of Lizzie's toes would never stop hiding behind the other. We called it the "hidey toe". Looking back, those are such little worries. With my grandchildren, I worry, or rather, spend time thinking about, bigger things. I guess that is because they are out of my control. I am not raising them each day. This is a good thing. Their parents are far better equipped for it than I am. But that loss of control leaves time for thought and concern.
Most importantly, my grandchildren give me joy beyond what I can ever put into words. I watch them learning and growing into little people with definite minds of their own. I love to listen to them as they put simple sentences together and play with each other in such a loving and delighted way. I love snuggling the babies and enjoying the escapades of the toddlers. They are hilarious.
Each milestone is to be celebrated.......JR is talking!
