Alex Uses Words

Well, pseudo-words perhaps… sounds really close to words, used in a predictable fashion in the right context more often or not, but not yet clear enough or consistent enough to definitively call talking… lets see…

• Ning: He has been using this consistently for at least a month or two now to say he wants to nurse. Not English of course, but he gets across what he wants.
• Mamamamamama (with a variable number of ma’s) and Dadadadadadadada (with a variable number of da’s). Over the last month has started to use these in the right contexts (when the appropriate one of us is present) rather than just randomly.
• We *think* we’ve heard him sometimes trying to say Amy, but not consistently enough for me to say that for sure yet.
• A couple of times I’ve heard him say something like “ogdidi” when reaching for Roscoe, but that could be coincidence.

Then the new stuff this last week…

From Brandy on Wednesday (16:47 UTC):

So… I was sitting at the kitchen table feeding Alex. He decided he didn’t want any more cream of wheat, shaking his head and making a face, saying “nana nana nana.” So I went and got him a banana. Now he is quite happily sitting and eating it.

Since then he has been using “nana” on a pretty regular basis when confronted with the yellow fruit.

Then from Brandy on Friday:

17:59 UTC

Brandy: … I think Alex can say dog.

19:11 UTC

Sam: Like actual dog? Or ogdidi?

19:21 UTC

Brandy: “Dog, dog, dog, hi dog, good dog, dog.”

19:26 UTC

Sam: Hi? Good?

19:30 UTC

Brandy: Oh yeah. Now, he could have just been making sounds, but when I went into the room he was looking over the edge of the crib at the dog. If he repeats it then we’ll know.

Now, so far I don’t think he has repeated that. Not in front of me anyway. I’m always away when the good stuff happens. :-) He probably doesn’t want to do it when he knows non-dogs are listening. :-)

Anyway, most of this is still of the sort that is subject to optimistic parental interpretation rather than being absolutely and incontrovertibly words. But he is babbling pretty much constantly. Some of the babbles will inevitably become actual English words at some point. And the parental mind strives to find patterns and meaning. :-)