baby can read.

i have been so inspired by jude's desire to learn! since we got "your baby can read" in the mail, i have been doing flashcards with him and today, in the car, he watched the accompanying dvd for the first time. he was absolutely mesmerized. and not the vegged-out kind of mesmerization, but the kind where you can tell his little gears are totally turning. his eyes follow relentlessly as the little arrow scrolls from left to right beneath each word, and he smiles in wonder as they show the picture/video clip associated with the word. since yesterday he has learned to not only point to the eyes on his crab toys but to the eyes on almost any animal toy. tonight, i got him to raise him arms by exclaiming "arms up!" (which was on the video). a baby's capacity for learning is simply incredible. my friend christine (and mommy to holden isaac, 2 months) is already doing both an english AND a spanish version of the "head, shoulders, knees, & toes" song. and holden already pays attention. i wish i would have realized sooner how much they absorb at that age!
in addition to a growing understanding, jude is beginning to really imitate language. he says, very clearly, "up" in regards to the light switch when we play the up/down game with it. moreover, tonight he actually tried to mimic me saying "arms up." he's getting pretty impressive at imitating sounds. my mom pointed out today that when she vacuums (even with the dust buster) he hums. and then today while visiting zach's cousins, after i introduced him to brandt, making sure to say his name slowly and clearly as well as pointing at him, jude reached out his arm and spoke (with his best effort) something quite similar. it's just so crazy how quickly this happens. and i am trying to do more everyday to encourage him.
i'm determined to start baby sign language this week, also. i've been telling myself i would for a couple of months now, but like i said, now i'm really inspired! and, don't mistake my intentions in any of this, by the way. i am not doing this to have the "smartest" baby or in order to brag. i am doing this for his stimulation and benefit (though i might brag a bit, lol). and the more articles i read, the more impressed i am by the benefits. babies actually enjoy learning at this stage in their life, so why not take full advantage of that?

and now for a little bit of today...





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