Music and the Babbled Word

Baby J doesn’t say too many words. He has been saying “Ba Ba” for a couple of months now and he is very specific with that word. He uses the milk sign at the same time as saying it, or he says it ever so lovingly when he sees the sippy cup full of milk coming his way. We have heard “Da Da” a lot, but it has only been this past week that it was actually directed at his Dad.

Baby J is always excited when Daddy comes home, he stops whatever he is doing and does a little dance of joy, then he turns and runs in the opposite direction, knowing that he is about to get chased, hugged and tickled by his Dad. Well, one day last week a friend had her son drop a cookie of on our doorstep, the glass door giggled, just like when Daddy comes home. Baby J stood up in anticipation of the door opening, and said “Dada”. The door didn’t open; he looked at me and questioned “Dada?” I went to the door, and discovered the cookie. Daddy really came home 30 minutes later and was delighted to hear the news that Baby J knows his name and expects him to walk through the door anytime it giggles. (here is a picture of the happy babbler)

I have yet to hear the words my heart longs to hear… “I will never do anything bad, and I will love you forever and ever and ever” oh wait, I think that is only heard in dreams, I just want to hear “Mama” or anything close to it, anything that started with an M would be good form me. I sit down with him everyday and read the “Mom Mine” book that Grandma Wheeler gave him for his birthday. I point to myself and to pictures of me and say “Mommy, Mama” but so far he isn’t catching on.

Something amazing has started to happen though. Baby J sings! I have been trying to get video of it, but he actually seems a little shy when he is singing, and if the camera clicks on, he stops. He will sing little songs while we eat breakfast, and while he plays with his toys. I even heard him singing himself to sleep at nap time a few days ago.

By far my favorite singing moment was in the car last Saturday. We were traveling down to Spanish Fork for dinner with our friends the Petersons. Ken and I were listening to “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” and suddenly from the back seat I heard what can only be called a “Baby Aria”, with long flowing notes and what seemed to be a pretty nice melody. I will keep trying to get some video. Until then you will just have to believe me.