Baby Talkin'

Every parent waits with bated breath to hear their precious babe utter the first word. After months of interpreting each coo and gurgle, the little one finally says "Mama". Or maybe "Dada". Other common first words include dog, no, and hi, all of which seem like words our kid would easily pick up around here (let's go ahead and leave shit off that list...I'm working really hard on removing it from my vocabulary.)

But my question to the universe is what actually constitutes a first word? How clear does it need to be? Does it need to be repeated to be counted? What if your child is only repeating a word after you say it? Is it a first word only when used correctly in context? My mom has said for years that my first word was "uh-oh." Is that even a word? Does onomatopoeia count? 

Z is a very verbal kid. She does lots and lots of talking, just not in any language we can understand. There's finger pointing and hand gestures- she's very animated. But rather than hearing a chirpy "mama" come out of her mouth, we hear "ta-da"! We hear it a lot. With hands thrown up in the air as if to say, well, "ta-da!" Sometimes she will even say it in "ta-da" kinds of moments, like when she's done with lunch, or when I pull the towel off my wet hair after a shower. This kid has a flair for the dramatic, for. sure.

Blurry. This kid is never still! 

It's my own fault, really. To keep her calm in Target one afternoon (one of those trips that was pushing nap time a little later than usual), I kept saying it over and over in a sing-songy voice and she would kind of repeat it. I also kept repeating guacamole over and over, but that only made her giggle.  Safe to say that guacamole won't be her first word.

What started out as an attempt to repeat the sound (her version sounded more like, ya-daa), has evolved into the real deal. But does it count?


UPDATE: After typing up this post about a week ago, the kid stopped saying ta-da. I've been trying for days to capture a picture of Z saying it with her hands in the air, but she's flat-out refused. Instead, I get toothy grins and raspberries, and drool...so much drool. Finally, today, just as the Hubs and I were reconsidering this as her first word, she started up again, so I started stalking her with the camera. I got pretty close...

In this one, Z just finished saying it. 

Saying "ta-da" to Scout, I guess? 

If I was just a little bit shorter...caught her saying it with hands up, but the angle sucks. Oh well! You'll just have to take my word for it. :O)