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As we are approaching Keegan’s 20th month, we have noticed a real increase on his ability, and desire, to communicate. While he will not win any record for number of words or clarity, he has really increased his verbal, vocal and sign vocabulary.

He is also imitating sounds and words a lot better now…so we are really in trouble now. I am expecting cuss words to pop up from his mouth any day.

Before listing all his words, noises and sounds, we thought to give you some eye candy, and post some pics. We also need to issue a warning. Probably this long post will bore most if you to tears, so after the pictures, feel free to skip it. Seriously, no guilt: we imagine that maybe Tizi’s parents will be interested in details about his talking ability, but is hard to phantom that anybody else will.

Keegan has been a lot more social, (YEAH) so it is more fun to take him to visit friends. Here is at Barbara’s house, playing with Stella (about 6 months older) and Roberto (about a year younger). He was excited about the pool and the swing that hung from a tree, and he had his first taste of the Savoiardi cookies: you know, the ones that go inside a Tiramisu. he was dressed in italian clothes for the occasion.

check me out, in my Armani clothes (grandma’s gift)


with mama…but I really want to get in the pool

Barbara with Stella and Roberto (and Maunel, studying in the background)

Keegan’s fake smile, playing with his blocks

So here is the list. The words with an asterisk are pronounced basically correctly. The other ones, with pronunciation in parenthesis, can be understood only by mom and dad, without a Keegan-English Dictionary. Also, much to Tizi’s dismay, most of the words are in English. However, he still understands both languages well, so we have hope.

Words

* Mamma (repeated at least a couple of hundred times a day…we will count it one of this day. One weekend we counted 65 times between 5.30am and 9am)
baba/papa (papa’)
* pappa (food)
* bye
* hi
* mine (it actually uses this also for saying By Myself)
* no (with and without the wagging finger)
* yeah
* cacca (poop)
* cracker
* bubbles
* nanna (sleepie time)
* go
* eye
* hat
* uova (eggs)
* giu'(down)
* nonno (grandpa)
* nonna (grandma)
* cheese
juice (juuus)
pool (pooo)
broom (broo)
banana (nana)
book (bo)
coccodrillo (coco) Crocodile
coccole (cocrle or something like that) Cuddles
baby/Keegan (tada)
ball (ba/pa)
outside/inside (tide)
help (helpup) with accompanying sign
potatoe (tata, from patata)
Hannah (nna)
Ms. Isela, his daycare teacher (ella)

and as of today…please (peas)

It is funny to notice that he pronounce nonno and nonna differently, even if they are the same word, with different ending vowel. Nonno is pronounced with a close O, almost like gnonno, while nonna is pronounced correctly. It is also funny to notice that when he learns a new word, he repeats it continuosly, regardless if he means it or not. So, nowadays is a constant: “cacca” (regardless if he has a dirty diaper),”nonno, nonna, giu’, uova”.

Whatever he can’t name, he use the pointing and the “eh” grunt, which is frustrating for all involved, especially because his pointing skills needs to be refined. However, he also makes quite a few noises, in imitation (and I am not taking about body noises).

Noises:
cow
pig
monkey
snake
bee
cat
dog
lion
walrus
fish
train
cold
dirty (basically a raspberry with his hand on his mouth)
uh-oh
wow
gnam (for something jummy)
heartbeat (pa-pam, while hitting his chest)

And he also uses signs, some from the ASL (or at least his interpretation of it), some he or we made up;

Signs:
milk (closing and opening his hand as if milking a cow)
more (one hand against the other. Always used with words)
finished (shaking hands in the air)
bye (waving)
airplane (hand in the air)
tarzan (banging his chest)
driving (pretends to steer a steering wheel)
tree/tall (hands up)
cold (bringing his fists on his chest with bend arms and shaking them saying BRRR)
help (moving up his fist on a flat palm. Always used with words)
please (rubbing his chest with almost a rotation)
thank you (moving his hand from his mouth outwards)
i don’t know (like an adult would do it: hands on his side, perplexed face)

So, here you have it, give or take a few: our talkative little guy. Of course we didn’t include his own language, which we don’t understand ourselves. What would words like “beechiebah” or “mamore” mean?? We wonder if the other babies understand it.

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