Turning a corner?

In the past couple of days, we've seen a change in Jackson's speech. For so long now, he's asked the same question: "Das?" We can only figure it means, "What's this/that?" Sometimes, I don't think it's always a question but a statement as well. He asks/states it also when we know he knows what something is. Anyway, he's starting to repeat what we tell him something is. Yesterday, he came up with a fake pie (from some new toys from a neighbor), and I told him it was pie. He repeated it! I was pretty shocked, since all we've gotten up to this point is silence after that question. He's not quite at the point where I can ask him what something is and he'll tell me, but repeating is a good first step!

His words are still quite jumbled. I worked with him one day to get him to say Elmo (his favorite character). He can say both syllables separately, but together he doesn't even get one of them right. It's just a jumbled mess that comes from his perfect little lips. I don't really understand how there can be such a disconnect from his brain to his mouth. Maybe it's putting 2 syllables together that's hard? I just don't know, and it's as frustrating for me as it is him sometimes.

I feel like some progress has been made here though, and hope that it's the start of many more words to come! If you read this, please don't EVER tell me that I'm not going to want him to talk once he starts. Nothing could be further from the truth.