Milestones: Learning to talk

Connor is now 13 months old and we're waiting for the next BIG milestone - talking! Right now, he's just babbling a lot. But his babbles sound like language. You can hear inflections in his babbling and you know if it's a request or an angry comment or just a general knowing sort of comment.

So what can Connor say now?

Mama, Dada
He can say Mama and Dada to the right parent. He's been saying that for some time now but rather infrequently. Not now though. And he really knows how to work it. When he wants something that he knows he's not supposed to have, he'll put on his Puss In Boots expression and say sweetly, "Ma ma." knowing that I'll melt right on the spot. But I generally still say No. Hehe.

Brum, brum!
When he was littler, I would amuse him each time we were caught in traffic jams by saying "Brum, brum!" each time an ojek, bajaj or car passed by. He would look on with great interest but never showed any sign he was even listening to me. Then one day out of the blue, he pointed to a motorbike, turned to me and smiled. "Brum brum." But since Mummy speaks Malaysian, Connor usually says "Brum brum ah..." Me so proud.

No more!
One of his favourite toys is this set of nesting cups from IKEA. He loves to toss them about the house. One day, annoyed with him after having to crawl everywhere to retrieve all 7 cups, I scolded loudly, "No more!" He grinned back at me and repeated delightedly, "No more!" That was so funny I burst into laughter. Now at meal times, he will ask me to give him the nesting cups and after he's tossed them all off the highchair, he will look at me and say, "No more!"

More
He's just learnt this tonight. As he'd been a very good boy, I allowed him a special treat - a sip of Mummy's Coke. He kept begging for more so I taught him "More". It's a simple word for babies to say as it's one-syllable and is a simple mouth shape. Boy. Did Connor ever catch on.



I am trying with the Baby Signs but Connor shows absolutely NO interest in reproducing anything I've shown except the sign for "fish". He'll wave his hand frantically, signing "fish" each time we're at the fish section of the supermarket while looking at all the dead fishies that Mummy wants to buy. It's very discouraging as all the promo videos of Baby Signs show smiling babies enthusiastically signing all sorts of stuff while mine just stares into empty space but I will keep at it.

I really can't wait for Connor to start talking. I know for sure there's something going on in his head and I want to know what he's thinking. We do have "conversations" now where he will babble something and I reply, making my answer up as I go. From time to time, Connor will mimic my words. He happily said, "Let's go!" a few weeks ago, imitating my tone but I've never heard it since.

Everyone says boys talk later than girls, a fact that my parents can attest to. In fact, my youngest brother still isn't talking very much! Friends have also told me early walkers talk later as they can get to stuff they want and don't need to learn to say the word to ask you to get it for them. *sigh* Connor started walking at 10 months so I guess it's going to be babble for a bit longer for me.

C'mon Connor... are you talking to me?