Patrick's vocabulary

I've been letting myself get frustrated lately because Patrick hasn't really been talking.  He babbles all the time, but other than "Mama" and "Dada" hasn't really said any real words.  I realized yesterday (and it was emphasized this morning) that I just need to listen more closely.  I guess having a 2 1/2 year old who speaks so much better has made me forget what first words are like.

Yesterday at church, I got hung up talking after Relief Society.  Matt went and picked Erin up from nursery and then she came looking for me.  She wanted to cut across the cultural hall though, so they missed me in the hallway and it took several more minutes for us to find each other.

When Patrick saw Matt, he clapped his hands and said "Yay! Dada! Yay!"  I'm SO sad Matt didn't hear him because it was so incredibly adorable!  And I realized that he's probably saying things that I just don't hear as words.

So this morning I put him in his high chair with some pancakes.  I have been asking him every day when I get him down from the high chair if he's all done, and using the sign language for "all done" with it.  He's been repeating the sign readily and even a couple times doing it without my prompting him.  Well this morning, I looked over at him and his tray was clear (he'd thrown all he didn't want to eat onto the floor), and without my saying anything he not only did the sign but said "Ah duh!"

So I've realized I just need to be patient with my little guy.  He's getting there!