Baby words

Well, there has been lots of baby babble over in the O home.  For months and months, this child will carry on a conversation with you for ten minutes straight.  Granted, you have no idea what she's saying, but it so dang adorable. 

Now, real words have happened.  She looked right at me and called me, "Momma," while we were in Gatlinburg in November.  That really was her first word.  Since then, I've only gotten her to say it a couple of times.  She's said, "Dada," but not really to Aaron.  The funny thing is over the last few days we think she's calling him Aaron.  It sounds just like it.  I don't call him Aaron usually, so I'm assuming, if it's really what she's saying, it must be from his parents and family being over during the holidays.  She looked right at him yesterday when he walked into the bonus room and said, "Aaron," all excited.  I'm working on getting her to say daddy or dada because Aaron really doesn't like her calling him by his name. 

The best words came on Christmas Eve.  My mom and her evil  boyfriend were leaving our house.  My mom was waving and saying, "bye, bye," to Nola.  Nola raised her hand, which we've been working on waving, waved and said, "bye, bye."  At first, we all didn't think she really said it, then she waved and said it again.  It was amazing.  I'm telling you there is no better feeling than seeing your child learn something new.  Also that day, when handing her a doll, she said, "baby."  Plain as day.  She's said both since then, more so than momma or dada or Aaron.  Leave it to our child to be different and say other things besides our names.

While writing this post, it made me think of one of my most vivid memories when my sister was little.  I'm pretty sure it was on Christmas Eve.  We lived in a little trailer and I was probably 4 or 4 1/2 years old and my sister was probably 1 or 1 1/2 years old.  We were sitting at the little kitchen table and in the midst of looking for Ruldolph's nose and lights that were moving in the sky (duh! Santa's sleigh), I remember pointing to things trying to get her to say them.  Most of them, she would say.  It was so exciting when she repeated, "Tree, bush, star, etc."

It's funny because I have lots of memories from that time in my life.  I don't know why some ages stick out more in your mind than others.  I hope when I look back on this time I remember how exciting Nola's first words were.  I hope I remember that tiny hand going in the air and waving backwards, while saying, "bye, bye," and that it happened during the most magical time of the year.