First Words

Looking back at the milestones in life, there are times you can’t help but get choked up on emotion. The precious accomplishments that make life joyful and the tearful agony that festers in the back of your mind reminding you quietly that this will never happen for the first time again.

I mentioned several weeks ago that the Little Man has been spouting out various things over the past few months such as “Dada”. I also mentioned that this word could mean everything from “I’m Hungry” to “I’m Sleepy” to “Look Father, there seems to be a puppy in the vicinity, might I reach over and pull his ears?” So, in short, although we’ve had several “words” come out of the Count’s mouth, we haven’t had anything verbalized that is truly associated with recognition about what he is saying.

All of this changed last night.

The wife and I have had a running debate on whether the first word will be “Momma” or “Dada”, I of course picking the former to keep me out of trouble. So as one of us enters the room, we listen intently to the Wee Man to see if we hear a recognizable word. I’m pretty sure he knows my name … it’s “phrapple!” … yeah, the wife didn’t buy that one either.

We were all sitting in the bathroom last night. Well, let me clarify, the wife and kid were taking a bath, and I was standing in the bathroom talking to them, and he said it. Yes, it was slightly reserved, but unmistakable. We were hoping he would repeat it, and he did. He looked, he saw, he spoke. Over and Over. Perfectly clear. There could be no doubt.

He said, “Tisk, tisk tisk.”

Now you’re asking yourself, “What the heck does that mean? It’s not even a word.” But alas, it is.

He has heard his dad say it over and over. Almost PERFECT in its repetition. He recognized exactly what he was doing, and executed it flawlessly. It’s the sound you make when you press your tongue to the top of your mouth and suck in air.

He was calling the dog.

And the dog came. And it would walk away, so he would call it back, and it would come. This happened over the course of several minutes. Dog walks away, kid calls it back.

So it’s official. The kid’s first words are in the history books, not Momma, not Dada, but rather, “Here Doggy Doggy Doggy.” At least he’s got his priorities straight.