Merry Christmas and more

Merry Christmas!

We have a lot to report since our last post. First of all, last Friday, Harrison's second top tooth popped through. A week later it looks like it has been there forever. Crazy how fast that happens. Then, today, we noticed that a third top tooth has come through! His top left side has two teeth now...no wonder he's been chewing on everything lately.

Every night at dinner and afterwards, Mark reads stories with Harrison. One of the books they always read is a Spanish words book. Harrison really pays attention and enjoys it because there are photos of real things in it. When they see the dog, each time Mark says "perro" and then pants like a dog, because that is the sign language sign for dog. On Tuesday I was playing with Harrison and asked him what a dog says. I said dog and perro, and then he panted like a dog! Amazing!

He had seen a dog on a Baby Einstein video a couple of days before and sounded like he was panting when it came on the screen, but we couldn't get him to do it again even when we rewinded the video. Now he does it when the dogs come on during the video and he will do it if we ask him what a dog says. So cool!

Now he will also clap if you ask him if he can clap. He gets a big grin on his face and claps his hands. It is so cool to see him understand things.

And today he started waving! My mom is here and she was waving at him across the room and he waved back. His version of a wave is to hold his hand up high and just kind of hold it there. It is clearly a wave though if you watch him and wave to him. We just have to work on the hand motion a bit :-)

Harrison seemed to enjoy his Christmas. While he didn't know really what was going on, he was excited to come down and see a few new toys set up for him to play with. He has fun playing with his basketball goal that cheers whenever he dunks on the rim. He also got a shopping cart that makes noise and plays music whenever you put things in the basket, so he has been pushing that around the floor and putting things in and out of the basket.

He also got a new chair that he fits perfectly into...when he's not turned around and trying to climb up the back of it to grab onto whatever he is not supposed to grab onto.

He also grew attached to some of the kitchen gadgets I got--namely an ice cream/cookie dough scoop and a potholder for the handle of a pan.

We have blocked off an area we don't want him to get into using chairs, but quickly discovered that he was able to scoot under the chairs like a snake and worm his way over there. Great. So now we find him grinning and banging on the glass table. Not exactly the best play place for a baby.

Here we are on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! On Sunday Harrison and I are flying with my mom to Birmingham to visit my sister and her boys, so we'll report back after that trip. Let's hope all goes well with our travels.