My baby is a genius

My son is a genius.

He's at the stage in his tiny infant life where he's learned he can make noises by himself beyond yawning loudly. Every night, we have "conversations" with him, and while most of them are, well, pretty one sided, once in a while he'll go on a five minute long tangent of nonsensical baby gurgly noises.

About three weeks ago, I was trying to capture some of his "talking" on my cell phone to send to my sister. I got three very good clips, sent them along, and presto whammo... "the bean" (as he's come to be known since my father started calling him that when he was actual bean-size snuggled comfortably in my uterus) was done talking, rubbing his eyes and ready for bed.

On a whim about a week ago, I started playing the clips for the baby just to see his reaction. He thought it was the best thing ever (since formula was sweetened with Karo and HELLO SUGAR!). He stopped moving, crying, or whatever he was doing to listen to some mysterious tiny baby in my phone make noises IDENTICAL TO HIS right back at him. So cool.

I went to show my husband the funny reaction, and started playing the clips. I got to the third one and about 5 seconds in, he asked me to stop the clip and play it again. It took me three times, but then... I heard it. (Click the link below... ignore my stupid mom-baby talk, and listen right after I say "hello")

The most beautiful little noise in the world.

I'm obviously not convinced that it was a legitimate word (and before I get the "UM BABIES CAN'T TALK AT THREE MONTHS OLD AND PS YOU'RE A TERRIBLE MOTHER FOR MAKING HIM USE HIS VOCAL CORDS THAT EARLY" responses... I know, it just so happened he made two little sounds, maybe repeating the noise I had made), but it was awesome.

If nothing else, it was a little preview of what's to come.

On one hand, it feels like yesterday that our families were walking into my hospital room to meet the little guy, and on the other it feels like it's been an eternity since we brought him home. Either way, when we first did get him here, we had ourselves our own little family. Our own screaming, crying, turning himself red, too-big-for-his-newborn-clothing, molting, non-stop pooping, nudity-disliking little man was here.

And as much as we love him, he wasn't nearly as much fun to play with as he is now -- he was no where NEAR as good at Mario Kart as he is now (haha, anti-TV moms. Don't worry. Just a little jokey-joke). He likes grabbing my thumbs and pulling himself up to sit. He likes grabbing a rattle because he can make it make noise. And, thank goodness, he loves talking to us.

Or, as we like to put it, he's not just a tiny fleshy ball of obligation anymore.

It sinks in a little more everyday that he's actually a little person who really will grow up someday. I never believed when people told me "enjoy it, they grow up so fast," but now... hell, we cry at his hospital pictures when we realize how big he's gotten already.

It's not that I didn't realize he'd grow up -- I had no Bonzai Baby plans or anything, but still -- but I didn't think I'd already be thinking "I remember when." And now, as much as I love his little voice and listen to the clips everyday, now I have a tangible reminder... my baby boy is growing up.



What memories of your little ones as tiny babies make you teary thinking back?

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