Three Little Words

On Saturday as we were getting ready to board our flight at the airport, Ryan told Aunt Sharon, "I love you!" This was the first time he has ever said it. I am constantly amazed by the differences in my children. Kaity had literally been speaking sentences for months by the time she was Ryan's age and he still has very few words, and no sentences. Unless you count Elmo followed by various animal noises. It is from an Elmo book that he "reads" to me. Telling me in his own way that Elmo is a monkey, or an elephant, or a lion. But he said, "I LOVE YOU!"
Since then he says it numerous times throughout the day. To Bill on Skype, to Kaity, to me, to the dog. The sweetest was this morning when I was taking Kaity to school and she said, "Mommy, I love you." And Ryan said, "I love you." Then Kaity laughed excitedly and told Ryan, "I love you, Buddy." And he said, "I love you," right back to her. SO SWEET!
This evening we were rushing around the house to get ready to leave for a short notice doctor's appointment and I was bathing the kids so I wouldn't have to do it when we returned at (or potentially after) their bedtime. I scooped Ryan out of the tub, dried him off, and hugged him tight and he said, "I love you" and gave me a kiss. I slowed down (just a shade or we would have been really late) to enjoy one of those fleeting moments of motherhood before I blinked and it was gone. I truly think the way he sings those three words in his sweetest baby voice is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard!