Toddler Talk

A few nights ago, as I entered the “family bedroom” with Abby in my arms and Dondi just a few steps ahead, we were startled by a mouse which made a quick dash from under the bed to hide behind the study cabinet.  It was horrible! Just like any normal human being, I let out a very Pinoy screech, “Aaaay!“.  Abby was more than amused by the incident and couldn’t help recounting it to her Mommy Emy in her own toddler style a few minutes later:

Abby:  Mimi! (Mommy Emy) Mouse!…..room! (pointing towards the direction of our bedroom)…Aaaaaaay! (with both arms raised for emphasis)…Mommy! (pointing to me)

My Mom, to say the least, was entertained but I had to tell her the story in its entirety.  Now, if I hadn’t been in the room with Abby when the little creature made an unwanted appearance, I would have wondered what the heck my daughter was talking about!

Learning to talk was one of the most awaited of Abby’s developmental milestones and to be at the front row seat to witness it is priceless, rewarding and very entertaining.  For the record, “Dada” was her first word but somehow forgot all about it after some time and replaced it with “Mama”. :p  It didn’t take too long before she started saying “Dada” again much to the delight of her dad, and much to my relief.  Whew!

She referred to dogs as “Aw-aw“, cats as “ngyaw-ngyaw“, lions as “raaarr“, frogs as “kokak” and the neighbor’s chickens as “coo-cook”.  Mommy Emy  is “Mimi“, Ninong is “Ngongong“, Ninang is “Ngonga“, her cousins: Kuya Jad is “Kuya“, Ate Kylah is “Kylah“, Ate Macy is “Kylah” and Ate Sophie is, well, still “Kylah“.

Sometime after Abby’s 1st birthday, she started calling me “Mommy”.  Dada didn’t become “Daddy” until a few months before her 2nd birthday.  Sometimes, Abby calls me “Mom” (all on her own!) and her Daddy, “Dad” (also on her own!).  She tries to call me “Mommy Weng” but ends up with “Mom-eng” sounding more like “Mameng“.  Eeeew!  There were several times she called her Dad “Da-do” (for Daddy Dondi) and “Do-dong”.  Double eeeew!  Now she already calls her Ate Macy, “Missy” and Sophie, to our astonishment, “Lucy” (we need to work on this!).

When we’re out malling and she sees grey-haired people, she would look at whoever’s holding her and say “Lolo” pointing to a seemingly elderly man or “Lola” when it’s a woman.  Not once have we “shhhhd” Abby for this because we were afraid she’d get us into a fight with people who are not yet lolos or lolas.  Well, you know children, they are the most honest people in this world!  Hee hee!

In an effort to get to know the things around her better, Abby often asked, “Wa-di?” (What’s this?).  Lately, she has replaced this with, “Wa-dat?” (What’s that?).

When greeting people, she says “Hi” or “Hello“  with a single-hand wave, and says “Bye” or “Ba-bye” with a flying kiss when it’s time to go.  She yells “Done!” when she’s finished with something.  “Uh-oh!” and “Uh-no!” are her expressions when something goes wrong, like when she drops a toy or when something falls off a table.  She replies with an “Ok“, more like “Uh-k!” when we tell her to behave or to be good.  She answers “Yes” or “No” to questions worthy of these answers.  She says “no” in a variety of ways.  There’s the simple “No”, a relaxed “No, no, no”, when she feels she does not need help with something and is being helped, an emphatic “No!!” when she thinks she means business and an even more more emphatic “No, no, no!!” with matching waving of both hands in refusal when told to do something she doesn’t like.

As she develops her “talking skills” further, conversing with her can sometimes be likened to a game of Charades.  One time, she was carrying her box of blocks and kept saying what to me sounded like “Ey-bi! Ey-bi!”.  I thought all the while she was trying to say the ABCs.  Trying to hide her exasperation with her mom, she laid the box on the floor, held it on its two sides, lifted it and said “Aaargh” as if she’s having a hardtime.  “Oh! Heavy!”  10 points for Mommy!  I give my daughter an A for the effort she puts in making us understand what she’s trying to say.

Shopping, too has become more interesting when Abby started talking.  We used to be able to take her to a toy store and leave without actually buying anything.  I know, that’s so cruel!  Hee hee.  Now, she comes after us saying, “Buy! Buy!” carrying the toy she wants to be bought.  No more toy store visits for her!  Joke! When shopping for clothes, Abby says “Wow!” when I show her an outfit I’d want her to try on.

In church, during offertory, she would pull on Dondi’s pants and say “money” or just go straight to my bag and attempt to open it by herself.  After putting money in the offertory basket, she holds out her pointer finger and says “A-pa” (Isa pa!) to ask for more money!  This can be a tense moment in church when we refuse to give her more money and she starts to act up!

My all time favorite is “Ab-yu” for “I love you”.  And having her say it to me, with or without a hug, on her own and not as a response to an “I love you” from me is most precious.  If “Mo-ning!” for “Good morning!” gives our day a good start, then “Nyek” for “Good night!” is a heartwarming send-off to slumberland.

As Abby builds her vocabulary and becomes more aware of the things and people around her, I know in no time, she’ll be an unstoppable talker!  I know she’ll have very interesting stories to tell and I’m more than willing to lend my two ears and listen!