Finding Meaning

Merrick turned seventeen months last week and I can't believe how big and smart he is. When we are out people always want to talk to him and no one ever believes that he is just seventeen months because he talks so much and so well.

I think sometimes how hard it must be for Merrick (and all babies for that matter). There is so much to learn and discover each day. I love watching Merrick make sense of his world. He finds meaning in his world by labeling the people and the things he sees and fitting them into the world he already knows. When we see a dogs at the park he is learning to say "dog-dog", but he often calls them "Lola" (our dog), "Sweet Pea" (Jeremy's parents' dog), or "Booboo" aka Toby (my parents' dog). This goes for people as well. Merrick will often call them by the name of the person they look the most like.

The next door neighbor is having their house painted and painters have been outside every day this week. Merrick loves to stand at the window and watch them and has decided that two of the painters are Dada and Uncle Mike. One day he stood at the window saying "that's Dada" and "that's Uncle Mike". I did not see the need to correct him at the time, but I guess I should have. Later that day we walked to get the mail and passed one of the painters. Merrick said "Hi Uncle Mike" and the guy did not respond, so Merrick repeated himself. Again the guy did not respond and Merrick repeated himself again. After several rounds of this I had to explain to the man that Merrick had been watching him from the window and that he thought he was his "Uncle Mike". After the explanation he said "hi" and we were able to move on with our lives.

Here he is watching "Uncle Mike" working.



As much as I want Merrick to keep learning and growing, I think this stage he is in right now it just so cute. Hopefully keeping this blog will help me capture these memories before they are gone.