Boy With Words

The Pookie does not like diaper changes. I do many different things to try and keep him from screaming while lying down on the changing pad, including trying different toys, making animal noises and tickling his adorable, exposed belly.

One morning last week, I had just tickle-tickle-tickled his belly and was putting a new diaper under him, when I heard him go, "ticka ticka ticka." This was a new noise, so I looked at him, and his little hands were making tickling motions on his own belly! ADORABLE!!!

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The Pookie hasn't said a lot of words. He's not really signing or speaking or telling me what sound a lion makes. He's gone through periods of babbling, and he does that babbling with intent thing that is super cute. But with a three year old around, and one who was ahead of the curve with talking, I forget the normal development for babies and toddlers learning to talk.

The Pookie's first word was "da da." For a while it was the only babbling he made, but he also definitely used it with intent when looking at Londo. So we called it. His first word at 11 or 12 months old was "da da."

He started saying "dah" for dog, while patting his leg, which is the sign (abbreviated from sign language) we use for dog. Those "da" babbles lasted a while. Finally, just after 12 months, he started making other babbling noises again. But he still didn't really have many words.

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Over the last month, the Pookie has started to use more and more words. Not all of them are actually words, but similar-ish sounds used to indicate the word he means. The beginnings of toddlerese, if you will.

There is the definitely clear "no no no" he says when doing something he shouldn't be doing. Of course, he keeps doing it, but I'm hoping that's more due to a lack of understanding the meaning of the word(s) no (no no) and not willful disobedience. We've got plenty of time for the latter when he's in the Twos and Threes.

He also says "go go go" when we are going somewhere or when I'm kicking the dog out of the kitchen.

He also says "dye dye" for bye bye, as waves his little hand when we are leaving or someone else is leaving us. He's started blowing kisses with his hand, too. It's super cute, and all the ladies at his daycare just laugh and think it's so adorable when he does it. (On a related note, his daycare drop offs are finally getting better!)

Two almost words he uses close to correctly are "dak oo" for thank you and "ja joo" for gentle. I say almost because he says his version of thank you while holding something out for us, as in he is giving us something and we say thank you to him for giving it to us. But he doesn't always want to really give it up. Sometimes, he just wants to hold it up and say "dak oo." As for gentle, that's the word we use when he starts to pet the dog. He is generally gentle, but I believe he thinks it mean pet the animal. He saw the cat yesterday and started saying "ja joo" even though the cat never lets the baby near enough to pet him.

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The day after he started saying "ticka ticka" while tickling himself and trying to tickle us, I had the kids at the table for breakfast. I was turned away from the table, stirring the cream of wheat into the milk, when I heard someone say "ah oh." I assumed it was my daughter, since it was so clear and obvious as to what was said. But then I realized that it wasn't her voice.

I turned around and asked my daughter who said that. Before she could answer, the Pookie dropped another cheerio on the floor and said it again, clear as day! "Ah oh!" The Pumpkin and I started laughing and joining him in his "ah ohs."

Two new words in two consecutive days? Wow. He is really starting to talk. We are now entering a period of development that I love: beginning to talk. It will of course be followed by periods of learning to back talk and argue, but let's focus on the fun cuteness that is toddlerese, shall we? And let's all prepare for more and more stories about the cute things my kids say!

Speaking of which, my daughter still calls Baa Baa Black Sheep: Bla Bla Black Sheep. She also still occasionally uses the phrase "because that's why" in place of the word "because..." when she is trying to explain something. But more and more, she's saying words and phrases the right way. So the Pookie is starting to learn some words just in time!