About 3 weeks ago Max's communication skills started presenting themselves.
He seems to recognize "da-da" as daddy.
He also knows when to remove his pacifier, blow a rasberry right in your face, giggle, and then replace his pacifier (he did this to me first thing one morning after I pulled him from his crib). He's consistently gesturing by reaching up (to be picked up out of his hi-chair or his crib)... he does know what it means now.
Last week, while at the beach, I kept singing the opening lines to the cartoon show "The Cat In The Hat." I would sing, "Here we go-go-go-go on an adventure! The thingamigger is on its way!" Max would smile and fling his legs in glee (when I started this routine he was in his car seat). He started repeating "Ga! Ga! Ga! Ga! (incoherent babble in rhythm)" back to me. He was actually parroting the song back to me and would do this every time I started the song.
Again, at the beach, Evie and Ivy would twirl about the house pretending to be fairies dancing. Max wanted to get in on the action. Evie would bend over to his eye level and call, "A one! A two! A one-two-three-GO!" and Max would twirl. The day we got back from the beach, Max ran up to Evie and parroted, "A Ga! A Ga! A Ga ga ga!" and spun in place. I know it's baby babble, but it's finally taking shape in terms of him repeating the tone and recognizing that some phrases mean certain things. This is pretty huge and pretty exciting for all of us. Max even seems happier knowing that he is starting to communicate with us.
Yesterday, while at work, Rob texted me that Max went into the pantry, pointed up at a box of cereal, and said, "thee-tho!" Clearly trying to say "cereal." I'm reminded of Evie calling it "cielo!" and being excited to know we are on the verge of some interesting (and still developing) dialogue. I also hope Max remains a man of few words because a house full of chatterboxes will send Rob over the edge....
