Thevy Talks

It's been a couple weeks since I blogged. What's new? Thevy is 14-months-old today. She's become more adept at walking. Actually, she still stumbles like a drunkard... but she's better than she was a month ago! :)

She's also more vocal. She's always been "talkative", but she's able to utter a few recognizable words, as well as other semblances of speech. She'll take a phone to her ear - albeit backwards, lol - and start blabbering some unintelligible syllables. But clearly, she's imitating having a telephone conversation. She also points and sorta grunts to let it be known that she wants something. When we tease and chase her, calling out, "I'm gonna get you!", she runs and giggles, and sometimes it sounds as if she's repeating the same phrase.

Her vocabulary isn't as extensive as I think it could be. But apparently, it's good for someone her age. At least that's what some say. She says "Hi" and "Bye" to people. She even waves and seems to know to use them in their proper contexts. There was some study that said that babies that were able to perform certain oral and hand gestures were more advanced speakers than their counterparts who couldn't. The study cited being able to lick one's lips and to wave were signs of better language skills, as well as the ability to pretend. Thevy can do all those things. But I still feel like we're cheating her of even better language opportunities.

I wish Peter would speak to her in Cambodian, but he usually doesn't. I wish I was even more fluent in Spanish so I could be more consistent in speaking to her in that language. But she's still young enough and I hope we don't let many more windows of opportunity pass us by. I want Thevy to be a true polyglot.

Her lexicon consists of:

baby - her most overused word. Every kid is a baby to her.

dog - I don't know how to explain it, but she says it in a somewhat explosive manner. Actually, it sorta sounds like (and probably sometimes is pronounced) 'duck'. Sometimes she says 'dog-gee'. I don't want to write "doggy" cuz that seems more fluid. There's a bit of a pause in her pronunciation. And the second syllable has a slightly higher pitch. Also, sometimes it seems that 'dog' refers to some other animals. Or she pronounces a word resembling 'duck'. But I'm not sure if the finally consonant is dropped and all that remains is a glottal stop. Also, I think she may say "frog". But I'm not sure since I don't really know how she'd know this word. But she seems to accurately label the frog figures in my mom's garden "frog-gee".

mom - Funny thing is, this doesn't necessarily refer to me. It's more of Thevy's way of calling for attention. I once left her in a room and she began to call out "Mom! Mo-o-om!". I rushed back to the room, thinking how touching; she's calling out for me. Much to my dismay, on another occasion, her father left the room, closing the door behind him. She ran to the door, trying to open it and - what did say? Yep: "Mom! Mom!" Hmph. :-P She calls it out as an attention-getter, to let you know she's looking for you or something.

ow - She has heard be utter "Ow!" when feeding her in her highchair, she reaches underneath the tray and scratches my knee/leg. Her sharp claws always take me by surprise. So now, she knows all she has to do is scratch or pinch me and I'll say, "Ow." She did so while we were at the store - she kept saying "Ow. Ow. Ow..." And I'd say, "Shhh" and she'd only get louder, trying to embarass me! She was also simultaneously pinching/scratching me. lol. Also humorous, if she falls while walking, she'll exclaim, "Ow", as if it really hurt to fall. What an actress, this one!

book - She recently started being able to say this word. She sorta says "book-kee". Like "bookk" - since she places an extra emphasis on the final consonant in order to pronounce it.

em-mee/ahm-mee - Translation: Elmo. hehe

eye - This is an improvement from when she'd always refer to the "nose" as such. She'd touch your nose going "aye".

noh - Meaning "nose"

heh' - Translation: "head"

no - Unfortunately, Grandma uses this word way more than I'd prefer with Thevy. Thevy will repeat it. She'll even shake her head vigorously. But that's okay when she's telling me she doesn't want something. As long as she's not telling me know when I want her to do something. She'll also shove an object away if she really doesn't want it!

baah! - That's her way of saying/playing peek-a-boo. :)

Baba - Sometimes refers to Dad (sorta the way you say it in Cambodian), sometime it's Grandpa

Daddy

baw - That would be "ball"

wah - "water"

shoe -

And I can't remember what else, if anything, she can say. Oh, she says her own version of 'tree'. And she tries to say Boppy, saying "bobby" or something. She cries out for it when she wants to nurse because she's tired. She also says "Dora" (the Explorer). But she pronounces it her own way. Something like "Daw". She also understands words that she can't yet say, like 'television', or 'mirror'. I cannot wait until this girl is able to have full-blown conversations. It's gonna be fun!