And Gideon Grows



Our grandchild by love, Gideon, recently turned 18 months old. What changes I have seen over the last six months! Walking, running, spinning. Teeth, loss of baby fat, talking!

I will forever remember the day he walked down the hall, at about fourteen months until he got to the end, by the closed bathroom door. I was watching from "afar" and he was "all by himself". I watched from the back as he stopped and stood facing that door, planning. What was he going to do? All of a sudden, he started walking backwards. It was the first time. He didn't get very far before he stumbled and fell.

Getting back up, one would think he would continue from where he was. Not so. He calmly walked back to the beginning, gathered his dignity and tried it again. Over and over about a half dozen times, each time getting further down the hall backwards. Each time going back to the beginning. It wasn't long after that before he was not only walking backwards but spinning " 'round and 'round" as he calls it, making himself dizzy. He is so FAST now when he takes off running!

And the words! More and more come each day. He surprised me the other day. We watched a new video he had never seen. He named most of the items in it right away. How cool. He also says the last word to each phrase in "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Camptown Races" when I sing it. The other day, for some reason, he decided the "bay" had ran enough horse races. When I sang "Somebody bet on the - " he gave me a big smile and substituted doctor. Then he laughed and laughed.

Every week he learns so many new things! No wonder they sleep 15 hours. All of the physical and mental growth must be exhausting. For the first time ever, he noticed art on the wall. It was my latest painting. (She Burns For Him.) He looked up and his whole face lit up. He raised both hands in the air, like he was worshipping and went on and on in baby talk, saying who knows what about it. Whatever it was, it was complimentary because he looked dazzled.  I'm glad he likes the painting. The next day, he walked by an abstract of my African Grey parrot that has always hung there, done by me. Called "Beautiful Girl" many adults don't know it's a bird. Gideon calmly looked up and said, "Bird", smiled, and kept walking.

We like to take turns making funny faces at each other. His belly laugh is one of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard. The sweetest sound, beside my husband's voice? Well, it's Gideon, saying, "Love you.  Love you." He knows what it means, too, which makes it all the sweeter. I was supposed to by Gamma. Maternal gramdma was to be Grandma, Paternal would be Nana. He started trying to say Gamma, but pretty soon called me Caddy. Now he says "Mamma" (Not Mama, Mamma) or "Gramamma" for Gamma. That just fine. Especially when it's preceded with "Love you"!