language beyond words

Hank only has a few words so far. But he can express so much with a smile, a giggle, a skeptical look. He entertains the whole family with a sigh at just the right moment. He conveys urgency through cries and he lets us know when he needs to snuggle by guiding our hands to his armpits to be picked up. I try not to tease out intentional words from the constant babble, but even though he does not use sentences yet, I often feel like I hear them. I think this is true for his older brothers, too. After school, the boys will check in with Hank. Today Tolliver asked, "Did you have a good day?" Hank just smiled, barely breaking the seal around his thumb and raising one eyebrow just a bit. "I know," Tollie said, "I missed you, too."