"Hi"

Yesterday, Cooper gave what I think may have been his first real attempt at speech. It wasn't "mama" or "dada". I think it was "Hi". Here's the story.

Abbie was playing with him on the bed yesterday morning. She's talking to him in that way that we all talk to babies, and she says (very high-pitched, slightly squeaky and drawn out), "Hi", to which he replies, "Hi", exactly the same way. Now, normally this would be a fluke sound that he makes because he's learning to use his vocal chords, and we would just be like, "awww, how cute", which we were. But, when Ab did it again, and he repeated it, we figured we were onto something. Four times in a row he does it. So I grab the video camera. Guess what? He clams up. The boy could've just spouted off the Gettysburg Address, and the only proof we would have would be mine and Abbie's words...and parents all think their kids are gifted, so why would anyone believe us. I video him for about two or three minutes. Finally, we give up. And so what does the little fella do? He repeats Ab's "Hi" again. Go figure.

Some parents tell me to not be in such a hurry for him to talk, because once he learns to talk, he don't stop.