Third word

One of Isaac's habitual behaviors is pointing at objects. He doesn't usually want the item -- he just wants to draw your attention to it. Mostly I think he points at an object so you can identify it for him. He loves to hear the names of things, and you can teach him a new word (a noun, at least) in a matter of minutes. I've noticed he doesn't point while he's playing on his own -- for him pointing is a form of conversation and therefore requires another party.

He also likes to point back and forth between two people and listen to them say their names over and over. We do this a lot. Here's a little play to demonstrate:

Scene: A suburban dining room. A mother, father, and baby are eating a meal.
[Baby points at his mother]
Mother: Mama.
[Baby points at his father]
Father: Dad.
[Baby points at his mother]
Mother: Mama.
[Baby points at his father]
Father: Dad.
Repeat ten more times.

He also does this with both sets of his grandparents, and with his aunt and uncle. Today, however, he did something a little different:

Scene: A suburban family room. A mother, baby, and dog are sitting on the couch.
[Baby points at his mother]
Baby: Mah-ma.
[Baby points at his dog]
Baby: Dahg-dahg.
Mother: Oh my God!

Well, it shouldn't have been a big shock, as he had already been saying "mama" regularly for a week. And I've been suspecting since last weekend that he knew how to say "dog," albeit with a strong baby accent. But it felt so special to have him identify us in the context of this familiar game -- for the first time, Isaac had a speaking role.