First word!

Rip's first word is... "dump truck."  It sounds more like "duh! duh!" but he definitely says it when he wants to alert us to the presence of a dump truck.  Frequently the verbal "duh!" is accompanied by the fist pump which he learned is the sign for "truck," so he is using both spoken and sign language at the same time to convey meaning.

Rip is also making major strides in becoming a biped, in that he can stand unassisted for extended periods (he does this to the applause of his parents and looks extremely pleased with himself), and he can walk while holding onto a toy cart.  (Unlike his brother, he has absolutely no interest in walking while holding onto a parent's hands, and seems downright offended at the suggestion.)