Nolan the Talker

I've been around long enough to know that it might not be the worst thing in the world if our babies are late talkers because, once they start, you can't shut them up. I see Nolan about once a week and his vocabulary is growing in leaps and bounds. It doesn't seem to matter that his vocabulary is limited because he'll just keep yakking the same words over and over again.

He repeats everything you say so we have to watch our language around him. I tend to curse occasionally so I'm pretty worried that I'll be the one he learns those words from. It's thrilling for me to hear his progress because he's only with me for an hour or two but it must give his parents a headache.

Nick phoned this morning to tell me when he'd be cutting my lawn and all I could hear in the background was a steady stream of Nolan chatter. Sounds adorable to me but the noise ended when I hung up the phone. Nick is still immersed in it until Nolan has a nap.

I remember with my own babies always wishing away their childhood so that they'd be able to care for themselves but I soon learned that I should have enjoyed every moment of their neediness because it ended all too soon. No, diapers and bottle feeding aren't fun but that time is so fleeting. I don't think any mother will ever forget the sweet moments when they were bottle or breast feeding their child and the child stared into their eyes with complete trust. Those are indelible moments.

Nolan is only 2 years old so he is very dependant on the adults who care for him and will be to some extent for many years to come. I'm looking forward to the day he can carry on a real conversation but I know that will be another milestone on his road to independance. Still, with maturity comes his own ability to keep himself safe and happy and that's what we all want for him. Bless his sweet and precious little heart!!