Well Worded Conversations

Today, I had an amazing experience with Jonah. I had let Jonah play on his own for a little while, and when I went to see what he was up to I noticed he had soiled his diaper. I didn't really acknowledge this (and I know I should have), I just picked him up to take him to the changing table.

The whole way to the changing table, Jonah kept repeating "boo boo... boo boo..." Booboos are what we have come to call my breasts. My three year old nephew, who is very inquisitive and who has had a lot of exposure to breastfeeding, came up with this name for this particular body part. Although Jonah stopped breastfeeding nearly ten months ago (has it really been that long already?) he has taken an interest in my "booboos" lately. I think it goes hand in hand with that whole learning body parts thing.

"booboos?" I said back "Yes, Mommy has booboos. They're to feed babies with!" He kept repeating "boo... boo!"

It wasn't until I laid him on the changing table and saw that ever so familiar baby sign, that I realized what he was really saying. "Poopoos!!! Yes, you went poopoos!!" Jonah laughed, seeming pleased that I finally understood what he was telling me. I took the diaper off, and Jonah said "boo... boo.... ingy! ingy... boo boo"Jonah put his finger up and curled it around his nose, as the sign that I've shown him for stinky. "Yes, this poopoos is very stinky!" I agreed. He reiterated "ingy" nodding his head. Then he put his hand over his mouth and pretended to cough. I have to admit, it really was *that* stinky!

I'm sharing this with you not only because this story is pretty comical. But also because I had a *conversation* with my son. A *verbal* conversation. Yes, it was about stinky poop. But it was a conversation that he initiated, he kept going, and he used expressive language. As is the pattern with all of Jonah's language so far, he probably won't do it again for quite a while. He has this habit of making great progress, and then not showing us that progress again for months. But, he did it. I don't care if the conversation was about stinky poop, or if it was about nuclear fusion, or even if it was about health care reform... I had a conversation with my son, and I adored every word of it!