It's been a pretty momentous month around here. When last we wrote, we had bought a house in Philly and were getting excited for Jen's new job. Since then we sold our townhouse (For Sale By Owner, which we highly recommend doing) and really began putting the move into motion.

 

 

At this point he has graduated to all walking all the time. He even gets up and walks when he's crying in the middle of the night and decides to come into our room. It's endless fun to watch him playing around the house, the public library (no time for the books anymore!), the swimming pool, or anywhere else he can stretch his legs and go. When he had days with Grandma and Uncle Lou and Aunt Felicia during our preparations for the open house, word is that he did all the walking (including at the very hilly National Zoo). Those grandparents and aunts and uncles really know how to tire a kid out! (Daddy can't seem to repeat the performance--Arden seems to prefer short walks and then a nice long ride in the stroller where Daddy does the work.)

 

The other amazing development in Arden is his language skill. He still doesn't say any words with meaning. He loves to say "cake" and "quack" (both sound like "CAAK!") and will repeat them with glee, but never as a request for sweet baked goods nor in response to the question, "What does a duck say?" Also, despite at least 10 months of relatively consistent attempts at sign language by Daddy, that has been a total failure. He does not sign and seems to completely ignore all the signs sent his way. So much for the latest Yuppy baby trend!

 

BUT, he clearly understands a lot of what we tell him. He answers questions (like, "Where is your binky?"), though nonverbally (by handing the pacifier to the asker). When it suits him he responds to commands (even complicated ones like, "Close the pantry door and go get the cereal that is on your chair."). And sometimes you can even watch as he soaks up vocabulary right in front of you. The other day Michael was playing with him on the kitchen floor, banging pots and pans. Michael brought over the pot lid and said "lid" once or twice. Five minutes later, after Arden had played with it for a while and then inadvertently hidden it under a bowl, Michael asked, "Where is the lid?" Arden immediately looked around, didn't see it, and proceeded to check under the bowl. As soon as he found it there, he picked it up and held it out for Michael!