"Choo"

Brian has begun repeating words that he hears me say. His first imitation was "go, go, go." We standing by the front door, where we were on our way out; I wanted everyone out so I cried, "Let's go, go, go!" and I heard Brian repeat, "go, go, go"!


His next repetition (if memory serves me right) was at the Panera, where we had stopped after a long day of searching for a car out of town. We ordered some macaroni and cheese for Brian and I was telling him to eat his food. I said "cheese" and I was surprised again to hear him repeat what I had said. I tried, of course, to get him to repeat the words but he didn't do it.


He next surprised me when we were laying in bed. He was watching Thomas and Friends and on the screen a train was coming down the tracks when Brian responded with "Choo"!


He hadn't been prompted, so it was exciting to hear him say that in response to the train on the screen. Now, he had already begun saying "Shoohh" when he lifted a small toy in the air. I make that sound when I raise his small wooden plane in the air while playing and Brian had begun doing the same with the plane of his own accord.


This week, the evening of his birthday, also marked repetition of a new word. Brian was seated on my lap on the rocking chair and I lifted my foot in the air and said "shoe" a few times referring to my slipper and Brian repeated it!


On Thursday night, we were all in the family room. The TV was on and the Sleep Train commercial was running when we heard Brian say "choo" in response to the train on the TV. To our delight, the commercial ran several  times and each time that Brian watched it he said "choo" and he's been repeating "choo" since then.


While it's exciting to get to hear Brian's first words and hear him get closer to speaking, it's also bittersweet because just like his first steps, it's a concrete reminder that my baby is growing up.