This morning, Alston was in bed with us {as usual} and Patrick and I both had our backs turned to him. We were both awake, trying to enjoy the last few minutes before we had to get out of bed. Alston woke up very cheerful (as usual) and began his usual babbling (which drives his daddy crazy because he can’t get that few extra minutes of sleep in). Now, when I say babbling I don’t mean the typical babbling you imagine when you hear the word. Alston’s babbling consists of vowel sounds only, mostly Os. Something like, “Ooooooh. Oh!” You get the picture. Occasionally he’ll throw in a “gah” or “bah” but he usually sticks to the sounds you make when you see fireworks. This morning {as usual} Alston was babbling away, and his Daddy finally rolled over to talk back to him… when he got a very unusual reply. Patrick rolled over and smiled at him and Alston said “Da Da”. It was no coincidence, I tell you. He was oooing and aaahing and the “D” sound is not one he’s ever made before. He saw his Da Da and said his name. It was one of the sweetest utterances I’ve ever heard- and you should have seen the beaming smile on his Daddy’s face when I rolled over and asked if he heard it, too. {There’s always a possibility that I’m still half asleep and imagining things.} But I didn’t because Patrick heard it, too!
I practice “Da Da” with Alston all the time. I always call Patrick “Daddy” when Alston’s around. Everytime Patrick comes home or we hear his truck coming down the driveway its “I hear Daddy!” and “Daddy’s home!” Am I upset that he said Da Da before Ma Ma? Absolutely not! It means that all the time I spend talking to Alston–he understands what I’m saying. Oh what a wonderful thing to be a mother!