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It's still been hard to get a good photo of the little one. He's much too concerned with moving and exploring to stop and look at the camera much less smile. But I did manage to get a few pictures when I took him outside last week.

We were so psyched last week when Declan started taking a few solo steps between cruising spots. Before that, he'd really not been interested in the whole walking thing. But baby things, they ebb and flow...no steps have occurred in a few days. Same with signs, while we were in Mexico, Declan started doing water, juice, and more. Now, he's just staring at what he wants and grunting with passion. I really should video it. If I didn't have to endure it day and night, I'd actually think it was pretty funny.

What has happened though, is that Declan is attempting to talk. Outside of the massive gibberish conversations he has with himself, he's now making sense with three words. Now, it's most likely one of those things that no one but his parents can understand, but I'm proud all the same.

Around the same time that he took some steps, Declan magically figured out waving, which is now his very favorite thing to do. Over and over. Once he figured out waving, he started opening his mouth massively and saying "Haaa", which made me laugh because I've been really emphasizing the wave myself. The books all say babies should be able to wave by 10 months, and as that milestone approached I was getting nothing. So naturally I spent hours each day waving and asking Declan to wave and each time I'd do it, I would get really excited, open my mouth wide and exclaim, "hi!!!!". Well, turns out he now thinks that in order to wave, you have to do the mouth opening and sounds too. And he thinks it's hilarious!

He's also been saying Dada for a few weeks now, which is just so cute and a really great thing for Rich to hear when he comes home from New Jersey. And I thought Mama would be next. I've been working on Mama for months! He's very interested in the words, but with all of his concentration, only Ba ba comes out, and since he babbles baba day and night, I just can't count it yet.

But no, he did not move on to Mama. He chose, instead, J.J., which is the name of our mean, antisocial cat who, of course, Declan is obsessed with. Every time he hears her collar jingle he looks around and says "Juh Juh". Seriously. I should just spend a day running away and hissing at him and maybe he'll come up with a Mama.

Overall, I'm really looking forward to him walking, especially because Spring is coming and I'd love to be able to take him to the park and have him do something other than pick up sticks and trash. But for now I'll be happy with targeted grunting and "Juh Juh".