Yu-Yu!

So Sebastian is pretty reserved with anyone he doesn't see really often. He tends to keep his distance and stare, even if it's been just a few weeks since seeing someone. Even though his Auntie Laura lives not far away in DC, she's really busy and we don't see her as much as either of us would like. Of course this means that he needs to warm up to her again every time he sees her. But this past weekend, he seems to finally have "remembered" her sooner. It's like he finally decided that she was cool, and that was that.

It probably helped that, at the Farmer's Market, Auntie Laura was the holder of Sebastian's beloved kettle corn! But after we got back to Mummo and Pappa's house was when the REALLY cool thing happened. Sebastian said Laura's name! Or at least HIS version of it. Auntie Laura will hereafter be known as Yu-Yu (pronounced like you-you). He actually did do a pretty good "oh-wah" approximation of her name once, but for some reason only known to Sebastian, he preferred calling her Yu-Yu.

And then the rest of the afternoon it was Yu-Yu this and Yu-Yu that. He and his auntie played piano together, he wanted her to play with us on the bed, he wanted to help/watch her cook, etc. It was adorable. Even the next day, as we were driving by the street to Mummo and Pappa's house, Sebastian was talking about her. He was pointing and kept saying "Mummo! Pappa! Yu-Yu!" "Yu-Yu! Pappa! Mummo! Yu-Yu!" I can't wait until the next time they get to hang out.

I love that he's starting to build these connections. And I love that he's talking more and able to verbalize them. And even more than that, I love how, despite his reservations and shyness, Laura keeps trying and interacting with him and generally being awesome. He's a pretty cool kid with a pretty cool Auntie Yu-Yu.

Ahh-Buh!

That's how Sebastian says his brother's name. He started saying it last week. Cutest. thing. ever. The first time my jaw hit the ground (our boy still doesn't talk very much...), and he's saying it all the time now. Sebastian loves holding his brother. He loves having Oliver on his lap. Generally, our little mime will just sit down, pat his lap, and reach toward Oliver to tell us he wants to hold him. But in my quest to get him actually verbalize things, I was pushing him to actually say Oliver's name.

And then he did. I kept asking him what he wanted, and finally he just looked at me like I was crazy, and the most irritating thing in the world, and said "Ahh-vuh!" That has since morphed into "Ahh-buh," which is a bit easier to say, but still, he gets his point across. The other morning he came up to the bedroom where I was with Oliver, who was still sleeping in our bed. I was in the bathroom getting dressed and stuff. Sebastian poked his head in, and started signing "where" and saying "Ahh-buh?" "Ahh-buh?" I didn't know what he was asking at first. He kept pointing downstairs, and I was stumped.

Then he got up on his tiptoes and looked into the pack-and-play that we're using as a changing table in our room while Oliver is still sleeping with us. Then he pointed to the changing table, signed "where," shook his head, and said "Ahh-buh" in a sad voice. I finally got that he was saying Oliver! Duh! I told him that Oliver was still sleeping in our bed, and his face immediately lit up. He signed "sleeping" and started babbling in a whisper, all while running over to the bed to see his brother.

Sebastian still doesn't say "HI" as adorably to anyone else. He has started saying it to us and sometimes to Mummo and Pappa, but he started with Oliver. He doesn't say many words perfectly. In fact, that is probably the only one. Aiti and Daddy are pretty close most of the time. But "hi" is wonderful every time. It is totally normal-sounding and perfect. And he reserves that perfection for his favorite plaything, his future best friend, his little brother. I can't wait to see them grow up together.

Wordless Wednesday: Brotherly Love

Ok just a few words, so you don't think we're horrible parents, letting our toddler and newborn sleep together in one crib. :P After he wakes up from his nap, if Oliver is awake, Sebastian likes to have him lie down in his crib and snuggle with him for a while. I think it's pretty adorable. Here are a few pics of the most recent cuddle-fest. (The silly faces are because S seems to hate the camera these days...sigh.)