26 and 8, month by month

"Mama, mama, mama".

This is Reuben talking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

His first ever word, just absolutely extraordinary after no vocalisation for 2 years and for only having a voice for 2 weeks. Wow my boy you utterly astound me! What challenges Reuben has to overcome here, moderate-profound deafness, right facial palsy, trach and vocal chord surgeries and, well, you know the rest! We've always believed in him, but, along with his Drs, just never knew he would be able to do it. So I think this is the biggest news yet.

Happy 26 months Reuben
You:
Are a gloriously gorgeous, patient big brother
Amaze me with your kindness, your bravery, your wit, your unconditional love
Try to teach Callum to sign even though he's clearly having none of it right now
Love, love, love, can't get enough of books
Have a quickly developing vocal range and say "p" for "up" and "mmm" when imitating Callum

You silently babble consonants and are trying so hard to formulate these sounds
Can stand unsupported for ever increasing moments of time

Seem to be teething as you're drooling all the time and chewing on everything (or is it just imitating Callum?)

Take my hands to sign the ABC with my fingers, just amazing to watch

Happy 8 months Callum
You:
Say "Da da da da da da da" all day long
Make me think that the difference between Callum and Calm is like the breadth of the Grand Canyon
Have 2 scrumptuous little pearly white fangs on the bottom of your mouth and constantly need to chew so I'm guessing more around a hair's breathe around the corner
Are so close to crawling, I just want to scrunch up your knees further and give you that final push and at the same time, keep you as a little baby who can't stray too far
Are getting too old and big for us to be still hanging around watching Reuben in Occupational Therapy and we know the day is soon going to come when we're going to get kicked out
Can cry making me try everything under the sun to calm you down and then when presented with a whole banana, your face changes to utter excitement, your mouth drools, your hands stretch forward and, grabbing the said banana, you stuff it in your mouth, smear your face with it, embed it in the palms of your hand where it's really hand to reach and bingo, a happy smile beams across your face.
Show a complete disinterest in books despite your Mama's love for language.
You love avocado, cheese, watermelon, pineapple and anything else we can sample on Whole Foods Mondays
Love Monday-Wednesday mornings when you get Mama's full attention in Westwood Village whilst Reuben's at school
Posture yourself out of the car seat straps when I open the car door
Are starting to take trips in the orange Bugaboo as a change from baby wearing
Roll all over the house, hard floors, alphabet playmat, wherever
Take several short naps during the day, always in the car, often in the baby carrier, almost never in your crib
Sleep through from 8pm - 7am
Sit and happily play with Reuben
Love the Tigger bouncer more than any other toy and can sometimes be found dancing in your poo, looking down with interest, when prunes cause you to blow out spectacularly
Enjoy snatching Reuben's glasses and then crunching on them if noone's looking (Reuben needs to be more assertive for sure!)
Have never watched real television, but have seen DVDs of Baby Signing Time which sends you to sleep, although when you're doing your night time fussy thing, are pacified with watching Curb your enthusiasm or Seinfeld with Daddy on DVD

Point to my nose when I ask "Where's mama's nose?", and I remember that's the first word Reuben illustrated he understand too
And I thought I'd make a note of a sweet song as you were singing the other day, just so I would remember that sweet melody of vowels and consonants:
"Ah da-da-da-da-da-da-da
Ah ba-ba
Laaaa laaaa laaaa
Ah brrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Ah bruuuuuuuff"
How would I ever have remembered this had I not written it down?

You also occasionally stop at just "Da-d" in your song so that's it, you've said dad.

Have signed Mama once. It may have been a fluke but I'm banking it.

This said, this weekend gone there's been a big change and the boys are starting to play fight and calling for attention when they're at fault. But I had the video on them and thus the evidence and true culprits on film!