So Grown Up

I'm pretty sure Mac just became a toddler all of the sudden.

Suddenly he squawks to be let down instead of picked up.  (Though he still squawks to be picked up as well.)

 His half-crab-walk/scoot has become lightning fast, and he is walking everywhere.  Today I watched him walk circles through the living room, as if it were his own mini track.  He has been walking for a while now, but only today have I ever seen him turn without falling.  You could just feel the excitement zipping through him; he walked back and forth and around things all through the evening.  Instead of simply walking in a straight line to something he wanted, he would make more of an "S" shape towards it and then bounce and squeal and pat everything when he made it to his desired destination.

He loves to play peek-a-boo.  He'll hide behind anything.  A bed, a door, your arm -- lately its been books.  With all Mark's studying and my recovered reading obsession, he will walk over to me and stick his nose right into the back of my book and wait for me to say, "Where's Mac?"  then he'll pop his head out and holler at me.  He will play that for a solid five minutes or so without stopping.

When I remember, I try to sign to him a few things.  Mostly what we get out is "more" and "all done".  "All done" seems to be his favorite, because I do the motion with both hands out, and just sweep them back and forth over each other.  I have no idea if that's the real sign, but meh ... it works for us.  Mac will sometimes holler, "Duh", and sweep his arms back and forth super quick -- and then whatever food was left on the high chair gets stuck to the walls.

I think .... I think .... he might have a few words.  I'm not quite sure.  But he definitely says "Dat" when he sees Mark, and he says "Duh" when he's sick of being in his high chair.  "Mam" and "Es" (yes?) I hear a lot, but the one word I'm 98% sure he gets the meaning of is "No".  I hear "Nononononono" quite a bit.  I swear I don't say it too him that much, but it's definitely made an impression on him.

He definitely has clapping down.  He claps after we sing, when laughing, after walking, when eating some particularly delicious berries, etc. 

Mac loves to laugh.  He loves to laugh and then watch to see if you will laugh.  He loves to laugh during prayers, and leans in real close, waiting for you to peek at him.

His waving has evolved from flapping his entire arm to opening and closing his little fist, while it is pointing at him.

He loves dogs; he immediately starts a high-pitched "Dadadadadada" whenever he sees one, and attempts to grab its face.

Sometimes when Mark leaves, he sits on the mat and waits for him.  Never lasts very long, but it definitely melts me.

He loves dancing.  I'm pretty sure he's inherited my moves -- sorry son -- he just has to start bouncing as soon as he hears a beat.

I know every parent everywhere always says this, so excuse my cliche, but it has been one of those evenings .... how did it go by so fast?

Mac is going to be one in five days.