Birr-DA!

Do you remember the scene in "Bambi" where Bambi learns to say "bird"?  Here it is, in case you don't:

Well, we had a similar scene at our house today, and I responded with nearly as much excitement as Thumper.  Ford and I were reading "Pete the Cat" (which is an awesome little story if you haven't read it), and he pointed to a bird on the page.  I said, "that's a bird," and clear as a bell, Ford said, "Birr-DA!"  It was fantastic!  He knew he had done something great and was so pleased with himself.  Several times today, he's clearly tried to repeat words back to me.  He tried to say "balloon" when I showed him the balloons in his room, and he tried to say "bunny" when we read "I Am a Bunny."  (Sidenote:  He can now point to the bunny on every page when I ask him where the bunny is.)  He's really getting the idea that words match with objects, and it's so neat to hear his sweet little voice try to communicate.

For those of you who are keeping score, we now have three words in our rotation:  "bye-bye", "Ma-ma," (which he associates with me! O happy day!) and now, "bird."