Happy Mom-mom's Day

This past week I had to go out of town for a scrapbook show in Michigan. Last year we took Rhett with us, but as he is getting older and he likes to wonder, the Great Lakes Megameet was not the place for Rhett. So he stayed home with John and I went on the trip with my mother in law. This scrapbook show is a great show to go to and has lots of business. But every year, it's over the weekend of Mother's Day. Now the show ends on Saturday, but then I have to pack and drive home 24 hours. This was my first time ever away from Rhett and I missed him as well as John. I was feeling pretty lonely (well John's mom was there with me - so we wished each other a happy Mothers Day) driving in the car, away from my family on Mother's Day. However, I did get a GREAT gift!

Let me back up.... I have been trying to get Rhett to say "mama" for a while now. He said "dada" around 6 months or so. Not only that but he says "dada" in different tones. Anyway, whenever I sit with him and say to him, "now say, 'mama'", the most I usually get a is a grin and a deep belly laugh. Now, at 15 months, same reaction. I gave up and predicted he would learn to speak in sentences before he gave in to saying my name....

Glad to say my prediction was wrong. The first night I was gone, he was babysat all day. When John brought him home, he searched the house for me. When I heard this, it broke my heart! I wanted to be there. The second night, John had to work late, so John's sister was watching him. Well, Laura said Rhett just kept crawling from room to room at her house and saying "mom-mom". HE FINALLY SAID IT. Too bad I wasn't THERE. Figures! I try forever and what does it take to get my son to acknowledge my name? Traveling across the country without him!

Well, I got home at 7:45pm on Mother's Day and when Rhett saw me, the biggest grin spread over his face. Confident he would say my name, I said "Rhett say 'ma-ma'". And then came the giggle. Figures. We were at John's parent's house, so we headed home. John took the van and I drove the car with Rhett and halfway home, I heard this faint "mom-mom" from the back seat! I turned my head and Rhett grinned. FINALLY! Happy Mother's day to me!

Crawling Backwards

So what is the most FREQUENT question that I get asked about Rhett right now? Is he walking yet? And though he is 15 months old, Rhett does not walk. Maybe I should be concerned about it, but, I'm really not. It's not that Rhett doesn't have the strength to do it --- he is quite strong. I really think he just doesn't have the desire right now. John and I have the theory that Rhett is mimicking our dog and since our dog can't walk on two feet....Rhett has been crawling since about 8 months (at 6 or 7 months he did a cute inch worm movement). Now seven months later, he is the MOST efficient crawling I have ever seen (granted I haven't seen a whole lot...). He can crawl so fast he doesn't pick up his knees to move --- he just moves his hips and starts "swimming" (think free style stroke) with his hands and he can MOVE. He can army crawl as well as CRAWL BACKWARDS. Now, I really WANT to catch him on video because it's comical to watch but unfortunately, when ever the camera comes out, Rhett stops. I got a second or so on the video below, but just imagine him doing this across the entire room. He even looks behind him to see where he is going.

He's still crawling, but he is cruising now too. He can walk along furniture and he pulls himself into a stand, but he hasn't let go yet. In the last week or so, he even did a bear crawl. He may not be walking, but I have a feeling once he lets go, it's not walking he'll be doing. He'll be running!