We’re constantly trying to understand Gavin.  His lip smacking doesn’t usually produce anything comprehensible…at least, by adults.  But, I swear he said his first words on June 6 at 8:30am.

It’s Wednesday morning.  Steph left for work and I was quickly checking my emails before I had to be off too.  With Worm sitting on my lap, I pilfer through my “You’ve just won 8 million Euros!” emails and go to close my laptop.  Since our relationship relies on me speaking for the both of us, I begin dialogue with “Say bye-bye to daddy’s laptop!”

As I get ready to provide my best impression of a talking Worm, he steals the show by opening and closing his hand and blurting out “Bye bye!”

Then we stare at each other, mouths agape.

“What?”

Worm giggles.

“Did you just say bye-bye?”

With a sideways “What are you, deaf?” look, Worm crawls away.

So I sat there looking at him, patiently waiting for an encore performance.  Nothing.  His words still ringing in my ears, I wait a bit longer.  Nothing.  Since I have to get to the office by 10am and can’t piddle around all day waiting for the miraculous proclamation, I try to “help” Worm repeat himself.

I grab him by the little body and squeeze him.

“Focus man!  What did you say to me?  Was it ‘bye-bye’?”

“Ah ba ayee”

“I said ‘Did you say bye-bye?'” I jiggle Worm a little bit to coax any stuck syllables to bubble up to the surface.

He laughs and squirms his way out of my grasp.  Crap, I gotta go.

For the rest of the day, I kept replaying the scene in my mind.  Did it happen?  Or was I imagining?  My brain plays tricks on me.  But this time, I wasn’t drinking.  Does this count as Worm’s first words?  I don’t know.  Anyone can accidentally rub their lips together and puff a ‘bye-bye’.  What constitutes first words?  How many syllables?

Now I’m stressed.  I need to put a check mark next to this baby milestone, but I don’t know if it’s legit.  I should have checked this box months ago, but Worm has been taking his sweet time developmentally (as if he’s got his whole life ahead of him).  I need to have a long talk with him about that and how the years are going to flash by in a couple bats of an eyelid.  Sure he may be a baby now, but tomorrow he’s going to be a geezer on a park bench who forgot his way home.  It’s imperative for Worm to learn as much as he can in the short time he’s here on earth (which will be until 12/21/2012 like the rest of us).  Thanks for the heads-up Mayans!

Or, maybe Worm is trying to tell me that he already understands the fleeting nature of life?  Maybe his first words enunciate the essence of existence with an exclamation.  Bye-bye!  He’s trying to tell me to live life to the fullest because one day you’re born and the next day you’re ‘bye-bye’.  Brilliant!  It’s genius!  I mean, he’s genius!  Children are born with pure intention and innate wisdom before we screw them up with our adult ideas of the way things are.  We have to listen to these wise children for their words hold so much more than drool and spit.

Now, I wonder what Worm is trying to tell me when he looks me dead in the eyes and puts his finger in his nose?

I Think I Feel a Little Buddha Somewhere In Here…