The boy.  He talks and chatters and parrots and reads and explains and asks.  It is mind-blowing to us; one day you were doing this awful, frustrated squeal "EHHHHHHH!!!" at everything and the next, full-on talking.

At 20 months you know the words to nearly everything around you.  Examples for posterity....you can tell me what you want to do "Go in the bath", "Open it up", "Come here" etc.  You told me your tummy hurt today.  And that you wanted to "play train tracks" with "Thomas the Tank Engine".  You understand EVERYTHING, all the most detailed instructions, and you take great delight in following through instructions - "Go to the table please Louie", "Wash your hands",  "Pick up your books and take them to your room please".  I dread the day you realise it's not a game and that you are able to refuse and/or tantrum.  Good lord I know it's coming.

Today we lay together on our bed and you picked up a book of Poppa's.  I asked you to read it to me and you turned the pages and read to me for a long while.  It was apparently about "little ones" and "big ones" for the most part.

I've started pausing mid-way through sentences in books and you finish them off for me;

Me:  "Little Rabbit Foo-Foo riding through the...."
Louie:  "FORRRESSSSST!"
Me:  "Picking up the field mice and....
Louie:  "BOPPPING ON DA HEAD!!"

But even ones we've only read a handful of times:

Me:  " "Not I" said the cheetah lazing in the...
Louie:  "SPOTTED SHADE!!!"

But probably the most interesting part of you being able to verbally communicate is you telling me about things I haven't seen you experience.  When we sat around having dinner after your day at daycare I asked you "what songs did you sing at school Louie?".  You looked at me for a long while, obviously thinking really hard and then replied "Babies wahwah" and did a little rocking motion with your hands.  I didn't know what you meant.  Then you said "Wheeeeels!" and I started singing "The Wheels on the bus".  Your eyes gleamed happily and then you said "Babies!!"  Oh...."The babies on the bus go 'wahwahwah'".  Your eyes popped out of your head, your mum knew your daycare song!  Then you said "Rainbow" and we figured out which Rainbow song you meant by you mumbling "Redandlellowand....".  Amazing.

I know this is the minutiae of you growing up but these are the moments I don't want to forget. This metamorphosis from baby to boy is unreal, these sudden leaps and bounds hurtling you out, up, further away from me.  And yet I feel closer to you than ever.  We can talk.

I told you the other day as you looked at me worriedly, trying something new "Don't worry baby, Mama's here".  You repeated it, as you do everything "Mama's 'ere,  mama's 'ere".   And I watched it sink in.  Mama is here.  It's ok.  Ever since then you say "Mama here?" and reach for me when you're feeling worried.  Mama's here Lou Blue, always xxx