Phrases!

Hello Everyone!

Just wanted to do another update with some fun new details: Graham said his first 3-word phrase today! He has been putting two words together occasionally (his favorite "lights out" started maybe 2 weeks ago) but today he repeated "that's the ball" many times. Very funny! He's actually pretty good at the "th" sound, it sounds somewhere between a "d" and a "z". It is SO much fun to hear his vocabulary expanding, and to watch him realize that he can communicate.
This has, of course, brought its own challenges as well. Graham is now aware that he has an opinion, and that if talking about it doesn't work crying might be worth a try. He is already pretty responsive to reasoning, unless he's tired or hungry. In fact, today he made his first really obvious positive decision to behave; when asked whether he wanted to put on shoes and go outside, or else stay inside (this was after throwing a brief fit about having to put on shoes), he went over and chose the shoes! What a smart boy...
The above pictures are from a few days ago, we were filling up water balloons for our Ridley Soccer Team's cookout (we coached 7-9 yr olds, which Graham LOVED). We looked up from our balloons to find that Graham had taken the opportunity to make leaf soup, and then pour it over his head. He loves to be dirty!