My baby just said, “Ma Ma!”

Ma Ma! He said, “Ma Ma!” That sweet little beautiful angel said, “Ma Ma!” For the last, oh, 7 months and 3 weeks, or Oliver’s entire life, FTD and I have been in his face with, 'ma ma's and 'da da's. I never actually thought he would say, ‘ma ma’ first, but sweet angels on earth my little man said, “ma ma.” Can you tell I am a little bit excited?

Two days ago both FTD and I thought we heard a Ma da. Yes, Ma da. Of course Oliver was going to be diplomatic about saying ma ma or da da by saying “ma da,” he is our son! Then we heard a clear “ma tttttsss.” That was the point we just decided he was practicing sounds again and went on about our business. I was personally crushed. I was sure I was about to hear the words I had been waiting my son’s entire life to hear, “Mom, you are so much more awesome than dad. Oh and p.s Ma Ma.” Not so much.

Moving on…

This morning we woke up to MA MA! Then he busts out, ma ma maa ma ma ma ma ma ma maaama. My heart was just thumping out of my chest, my legs went weak, I got chills, he was really saying, "ma ma." I was speechless because my son was not. The words had finally come.

I picked him up, kissed him all over and said, “ma ma” repeatedly. Nothing. No reply just smiles from all the love and kisses. Luckily, when I put him down and walked away the “ma ma maa ma ma ma ma ma ma maaa ma's,” returned. YES! YES! YES!

Truth be told, I am completely aware that he has no idea that ma ma means me. However, I do think he is realizing how much I love it. When he says 'ma ma' I give him a reaction. I clap and smile and repeat it back to him. This is by far my favorite milestone reached to date!

Ok, enough about my awesome baby. Here are some fun facts about why and when babies say ma ma or da da.

1. According to Baby Center: “Vocalization is a game to your baby, who's experimenting with using his tongue, teeth, palate, and vocal cords to make all sorts of funny noises. At this stage, babbling sounds the same, whether you speak English, French, or Japanese in your home. You may notice your child favoring certain sounds ("ka" or "da," for example), repeating them over and over because he likes the way they sound and how his mouth feels when he says them.”


2. The Med Guru says: “A recent research, led by University of British Columbia post-doctoral fellow Judit Gervain…. According to the research, the ability of children to pick up and speak words like ‘mama’ and ‘papa’ earlier than any other word, depends mainly on the very simple fact, that almost all languages have words for mother and father depicted in patterns of repeating sounds, thus making these words simpler for babies to catch and comprehend or retain."

"It's probably no coincidence that many languages around the world have repetitious syllables in their 'child words,'" Gervain said, citing "papa" in Italian and "tata" (grandpa) in Hungarian as examples.”

3. According to Science Daily: “A scientist at The Johns Hopkins University now reports that the sounds that give parents such a thrill actually mark the very beginning of human word comprehension. It is now believed that the origins of language -- linking sound patterns with specific meanings -- stem from discrete associations infants make, beginning with parents, at 6 months of age. Six months is the youngest age anyone has been able to show that children seem to pair sounds with a specific meaning…"

4. *The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends....


  • Use “reciprocal” play—when he smiles, you smile; when he makes sounds, you copy them. 
  • Repeat your child’s sounds and say simple words with those sounds. For example, if your child says “bah,” say “bottle” or “book.” 
  • Read books to your child every day. Praise her when she babbles and “reads” too. 
  • When your baby looks at something, point to it and talk about it. 
  • Point out new things to your baby and name them. 
  • Show your baby bright pictures in a magazine and name them 

*Want a full list of baby to toddler Milestones?  Check out this link to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

For those of you still waiting to hear ‘ma ma’ or ‘da da,’ just you wait! It will be the most beautiful thing you have ever heard, next to your baby’s first cry and giggle.





Sources:
BabyCenter
Med Guru
Science daily 
Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Two confused parents=One amused baby Hopelessly we are trying raise a baby who is clearly smarter than both of us. April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com