Sweet Dreams. You’re a Good Boy

Monster is starting to talk so much more these days.  It’s amazing to watch him imitate and mimic and communicate.  Last night, as we sat snuggled together on the couch for pizza and a movie night, I gave him a kiss and said, “I love you buddy.”  He responded with a sweet, soft, “I love you Mommy.”  Oh my heart.  He hasn’t said those words strung together like that ever. 

Out of the blue the other day he took my husband’s hand, shook it and said, “Hi, how are you?”  I’m fairly certain he got that from my dad, as Granda shakes his little hand and says “hi, how are you” whenever he comes over.  It amazes me that, days after Granda’s last visit, Monster remembers this detail and tries it out on someone else.

Recently all has been made right in the world by another act of mimicking.  Despite my initialsadness about our silent bedtime routine, I discovered that if I put my mouth right up to Monster’s ear and speak loudly he can hear without his aids.  Thus began our new goodnights.  Now Monster cozies up in his big boy bed and I lean over him with my mouth to his ear and say, “I love you.  Sweet dreams.  You’re a good boy.  I love you.”  Somewhere along the way he has taken to repeating back each phrase.  “Wuv you.  Weet Weams.  Good Boy.  Wuv you.”  It is all enormously comforting to know that he hears me.  That the last words he hears before slumber takes are words that speak to his worth and general loved-ness.

At speech therapy the other day he was playing with a baby.  At one point he rolled the baby onto it’s tummy (his preferred sleep position), patted it’s back and said, “good boy.”  And I know he gets it.  He remembers these acts of love throughout the day.  They carry him beyond the moments before slumber.  They carry him through his work and play and fears and joys.  They teach him how to love others.  They teach him how to love himself. 

He gets it.