Baby's First Word(s)
It seems like every time I ask a parent what their child's first word was, they tell me "dada and shortly after, mama". I was so excited to hear my daughter call me Mama and practiced every chance I got (ok so I still do that). The thing is, no one told me that not all babies follow this pattern and I naively assumed mine would. She is almost 14 months old and in addition to nonsensical baby babble, this is her list of spoken words:
Go
Doggy
Hi
Zia
That last one kills me. Zia is Italian for Aunt and, naturally, I can thank my sisters for this one. It was one of her first words (I honestly can't remember if it was "Go" or "Zia") and even though she pronounces it like "eeeyyaaa", she definitely associates the word with my sisters. However, I must have gone horribly wrong somewhere because she also calls me "eeeyyaaa". I have tried everything to correct her. I say, "I'm Mama" and point to myself, I do not address her when she is trying to get my attention by calling me Zia, and I've tried to hide my smile when she proudly looks at me and says "eeeyyaaa".
As far as problems go, this is a minor blip but I am certain that most, if not all moms have cried when hearing their children call them Mama for the first time. I have yet to shed any tears; of happiness anyway. I have complained to my husband that my own child thinks I'm her aunt. And while I nod when he tells me that she knows I'm her mom, I have this self-doubt creeping into my mind. My daughter is funny, outgoing, smart and charming but there is this part of me that always worries if I'm doing right by her. I want her to continue to be all of those things and more but I selfishly also want her to need me. I have somehow related the fact that she doesn't say "mama" to my abilities as a mom. I can easily drive myself crazy with these types of analogies but I will give it a few more months.
So, sweet baby of mine: you better start calling me Mama soon or I'm liable to rant and rave about the all-day sickness, heartburn, stretch marks, hours of labour, c-section scar and allergic reaction that your Zia's most certainly did not experience in order for you to enter this world.
Go
Doggy
Hi
Zia
That last one kills me. Zia is Italian for Aunt and, naturally, I can thank my sisters for this one. It was one of her first words (I honestly can't remember if it was "Go" or "Zia") and even though she pronounces it like "eeeyyaaa", she definitely associates the word with my sisters. However, I must have gone horribly wrong somewhere because she also calls me "eeeyyaaa". I have tried everything to correct her. I say, "I'm Mama" and point to myself, I do not address her when she is trying to get my attention by calling me Zia, and I've tried to hide my smile when she proudly looks at me and says "eeeyyaaa".
As far as problems go, this is a minor blip but I am certain that most, if not all moms have cried when hearing their children call them Mama for the first time. I have yet to shed any tears; of happiness anyway. I have complained to my husband that my own child thinks I'm her aunt. And while I nod when he tells me that she knows I'm her mom, I have this self-doubt creeping into my mind. My daughter is funny, outgoing, smart and charming but there is this part of me that always worries if I'm doing right by her. I want her to continue to be all of those things and more but I selfishly also want her to need me. I have somehow related the fact that she doesn't say "mama" to my abilities as a mom. I can easily drive myself crazy with these types of analogies but I will give it a few more months.
So, sweet baby of mine: you better start calling me Mama soon or I'm liable to rant and rave about the all-day sickness, heartburn, stretch marks, hours of labour, c-section scar and allergic reaction that your Zia's most certainly did not experience in order for you to enter this world.
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