Talking up a storm

The boys' ability to communicate verbally seems to have doubled in the past couple weeks. These days they can be heard saying things such as:

• "Ooooh, nice!" when they see something they like.


• "Hi Mimi!" when we are pulling up in to Mimi and Papa's driveway.


• "Bryce! Car? Bye-bye?" when they want to get in the car and go visit their friend Bryce.


• "Mimi! Papa! Car? Bye-bye?" when they want to go to Mimi and Papa's house.


• I can ask them if they have a poo and they will say "Yes" or "No", usually giving the correct answer. Sometimes Caleb even tells me "poo!" before I even ask. Maybe we can start potty training after Joshua gets his cast removed.


• They say "eat!" if they are hungry and "all done" when they're done eating.


• New favorite words include "bus, car, Bible, Jesus, sky, guitar, up, down, cracker, hello".


• They also can say most of the letters ("W" has proved to be quite challenging) and numbers. Sometimes I'll catch them spouting out a random string of words, letters, and numbers. I predict they'll be speaking sentences any day now.

The boys like for us to pat their backs when they're coughing, usually during a meal. Sometimes if we don't pat their backs in time, they will pat their own chests. And sometimes if one boy is coughing and having his back patted, the other will fake a cough so that we'll pat his back, too! I told you, they're quite talented actors.

Joshua has made incredible progress with his cast. He is almost as mobile now as he was before the accident, he's just not as fast. He can stand up without holding onto anything and walk. It's tricker on smooth surfaces but he does really well on carpet. It occurred to us the other day that for all Joshua knows, his cast is a permanent fixture. Considering how depressing that prospect would be, he is an amazingly cheerful and optimistic boy. He's really just as happy now as he ever has been. We think that's pretty remarkable.