I’m getting pretty old ya know.  I’m 1 ½ years now…which is a lot of months…not as big a number as the number of pictures Momma takes!  I don’t even need my lovey that much anymore.  Okay, just kidding about that.  Being 1 ½ means I got to visit the nice doctor lady again to show her just how big and healthy I am. Momma said I have to be healthy for our photo field adventures.   I had so much to tell miss doctor about the last 6 months:  the many many places Momma took me for her many many pictures, everything I’d learned from books, the new things I’d tried to eat (some weren’t food), the new tricks I can do, and just why naps seem archaic, institutional and suffocating.  I did JUST that when she walked into the room.  I had so much to say, but it all came out in a jumble, my sounds and words twisted with each attempt.  Oh bananas!!   “Quite the little talker, aren’t you Nathaniel?!” Then she turned to Momma and Daddy, “He has so many words, really good tone with so many good sounds and inflections in his speech.  He is really trying to form those sentences even if you can’t always understand him!”    What is she talking about?  Momma understands me?  Doesn’t everyone?  Okay, just breathe and wait. Let her talk and see how much I’ve grown.

Right away, miss doctor commented on my cuteness and charming personality.  Duh.  After she measured how tall I am, and how much I weigh, she told Momma and Daddy I’m on the smaller end of the spec…spect…spec-something for my age.  Who is she calling small???  I’m a big helper! Grrrrrr.  I was just about to tell her I’d show HER small when she handed me the most amazing book!  “Caws!  Caw!  Caw!  Twuck!!! TwUCKK!!!”   I yelled over and over.  Momma smiled at me while the doctor said, “Ah, yes.  Nathaniel is having that common speech issue in development where his r’s come out as w’s sometimes.  Perfectly natural at this age. He thinks he is saying it correctly because it sounds that way in his head.  He actually is pretty clear, well beyond what I would have expected for his age.”  What does she mean I mix up my r’s and w’s sometimes?  It sounds perfectly clear in my head, just fine to me when I say car.  Here, I’ll show you… “caw”, “twuck”, “tuwtle”.  See?!  I smugly looked at the doctor and then Momma, who gave me a proud smile.  Then Momma turned to the doctor and said, “Well, I certainly know what THAT feels like.  How often do I have something to say that sounds great in my head, but then I can’t seem to coherently communicate when I open my mouth!”  They both laughed but I didn’t hear anything funny.  Did she say I was charming?  Wait…did someone say shots????!!!! “Wuuunnnn!” 

“Uhhh…Did someone say shots?!!”