My grandson is an amazement to me. At 7 months he now has two teeth and is working on a third. He is pulling up and taking very mishap tottering almost walking movements. He picks up toys and shakes them before putting them in his mouth. He has started showing an interest in the food his mom and dad put in front of him. Sometimes the ‘mash’ makes his mouth but often the dogs are the recipients of the globs and crumbs. As a result, he is their new BFF for life. He has found his voice and is enjoying making sounds as loud as he can. He smiles and cuddles and knows when he has been separated from his parents.
They come to dinner once a week and the excitement I feel as I anticipate seeing them at the front door is the highlight of the week quite often. I sing to him as often as I can and am waiting for the day he starts to sing back.
His middle name is Xiaolong (小龙) which is Chinese for tiny dragon. According to Google “Dragons are complex creatures that make a variety of sounds, including roars, sniffs, shakes, and whimpers”. Right now while he is not saying anything out loud that can be understood in terms of the language I am most comfortable speaking, he is saying a lot. He is making a variety of sounds including roars, sniffs, shakes, and whimpers.
I am listening deeply, so deeply because what he has to say is very important to me. And what he says now, if I hear it, will help him continue to see me as someone who cares and listens.
~Lydia Patrick
