It's so difficult to know what a baby's first words are. Annabel has been saying "ma-ma-ma" and "ba-ba-ba" and "da-da-da" for months, but is she connecting those sounds to things and ideas, or is she simply practicing?
Of course, the first time she came toward me saying, "ma-ma-ma," I knew she meant "mama." Then she turned and toddled over to Grandpa saying, "ma-ma-ma." Then Grandma, then Jo-Jo, then Michiel. (I bet she was trying to say his name--"ma-ma-chiel!")
It's tempting for us parents to hear words in everything our little ones utter. But recently, Annabel's mouth has been bubbling over with almost-words. When she signs "done" she always accompanies it with, "da-da-da."
She says, "bubbuh," when she wants us to sing the bubble song. Other times, she'll walk up to my legs, tip her head back to look into my eyes, and say, "up, up, up," in this clipped little staccato. She says, "baby," when she looks at her book of baby faces and, "eye," when she jabs her finger at their eyes.
But the cutest thing she says right now is "ba-woo," for "balloon." We've had a couple of birthday celebrations recently, and there are still renegade balloons floating around the house. Annabel likes to point at them (or dive for them) and say, "ba-woo!"
Still, her most arresting way of communicating is to crawl up to me, grab my pantlegs, and start whine-crying. Words are refreshing.
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