Mathematical Genius

Matteo can count to two! Well, sort of.

I'm not sure if this is normal or not but Matteo hasn't quite mastered the art of holding up more than one finger yet. It makes it a little confusing to know what he is signing sometimes since many signs require holding up two, three, or four fingers (he's got one and five down just fine) and sometimes doing different things with those fingers. But we've gotten along okay so far with these limitations. Now he's found a way to break through these boundaries.

He was eating lunch today (beans, what else?) and had speared two beans onto the fork and popped them in his mouth. Steve came over and asked how many beans he ate. Matteo held up both of his index fingers- 2 beans!!!!

We've decided Harvard and MIT are a little too far away so Stanford will have to do.

Here he is!

Nice teeth, huh?

The Big One-Point-Five!!

Matteo is 18 months old today!!! Everyone says it all the time, but the time really does fly and they do grow up so fast (well, after those first 3 months anyway)! It really seemed like his first birthday was not that long ago but now we are just as close to his second birthday! I will post some pics of the half-birthday boy after I get him presentable and standing still long enough to take one. But just for a little trip down memory lane, here he is one year ago:



I think we'll skip the paper sign today. I'm pretty sure it would get ripped to shreds, stuffed into Matteo's mouth, and handed back to me in slimy chunks before I even get the camera turned on. No thanks, sweetie.

Mixed Signals

You all know how much we love signing with Matteo and it has been extra entertaining lately. He has been very creative in using signs he knows for words he doesn't know the sign for (either that or he has some hearing problems...).

When asked if he wants some granola for a snack, Matteo tapped both fists on his chest (the sign for gorilla!) and gave me a big grin.

When we ask him to sign "Matteo" he pokes two fingers into his closed fist (the sign for potato- I don't think he's been reading this blog, but you never know...). His friend Adrian does the potato sign for Matteo as well- maybe he learned it from him!

And while visiting our neighbors Gary and Stephanie to feed treats to their cats (one of Matteo's all-time favorite activities, which he asks to do at least 5 times a day), he asked where the cat named Mia was by pointing to himself (meaning "me" although we haven't specifically taught him to do that).

I'd try to brag that this spectacular intelligence is all my doing, if it weren't for the chocolate incident from yesterday (see below).

Call the Maury Povich Show!

Because I need to get a DNA test on this kid!

Don't worry, it's not the paternity that I'm doubting and I'm pretty sure it's the same kid that I took 3 hours to push out (without medication thankyouverymuch) but I just had to wonder when...

I was baking some pumpkin chocolate chip muffins today and thought I'd be a nice mommy since Matteo was actually letting me bake something all at once so I gave him a chocolate chip. He disappeared around the corner and when he reappeared I expected to see his little hands signing more and a happy chocolate-y smile but NO....... he took it out of his mouth and gave it back to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!