23 hours, 59 minutes...

...until I officially declare Ben sorely lacking in verbal skills. (And the time is ticking away!) After celebrating Grandma's birthday (60!) with dinner and cake Sunday evening, we dragged out the old photos to determine if Speck really looks like his mother did as a wee tot (he totally does--sorry, Rob & your family). In so doing, we discovered that I spoke my first "official" word (though not my first word--long [or rather, just kinda weird] story) at the ripe old age of 6 months, 10 days...the age that Speck is this very day (it's just after midnight. Shouldn't I be in bed?).

Please, please, dear heart, don't disappoint your mother. We want a "Mama" or a "Da" or a "kitty" or a something distingishable from random babbling or squealing before your (fluid, ever-shifting, negotiable) bedtime. So get crackin', kid.

P.S. You WILL disappoint your mother anyhow if your first word/phrase is not some variation of "mother" or "Jamie." "Ma," "mommy," "yo mama," "Jay," "Mimi," "hey you," and "lunchwagon" are all acceptable. "Ayayay-yiyiyiAHHH!!!" is not. You can beat me at the talking game, as my first word was "daddy."

Kisses, sweet baby!!!

Speck practices his tongue exercises,

in preparation for The First Word.