my new name

First I was "da da." For a long time, actually.

Then came "dee da." My mom was that too for awhile. Last time we saw her she was "ga ga" (sounds kind of like "Grandma," right?)

Finally I became "Mama." I was so excited!

The other day I became "Nonny," as she's trying to say "Mommy." She'll say "nonny nonny nonny," and I'll correct her and make sure she's looking at my mouth as I say, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy." Then you can see her little mouth contorting just so and she says, "Mah-ny Mah-ny," and then finally a "Mommy" comes out. She'll say Mommy a couple of times and then it's like she just can't make her mouth say that anymore and it's back to "Mama," which is just fine with me! I'll take "Mama" anyday over "da da!"

I've had the thought for a long time that there's something wrong with the muscles in her mouth/lips. From day one she had eating problems (couldn't latch on correctly, had to switch to the bottle, had a zillion problems with that, too, and on and on). She can't drink out of a straw, uses the "d" sound for everything that's supposed to start with "b," and has trouble making the "m" sound, too. Something about putting those little lips in the right position just isn't easy for her. She can make the sounds now, but it's taken a long time, and it isn't very often that she uses them correctly in context (Mama is an exception). I mentioned this to the doctor a couple of months ago at a visit when she was sick, and she said we'd address it at her 2 year well check up, so we'll see. If there's a problem, I'd like to know about it now so we can get her in to see someone who can help us sooner rather than later. I hate that she's learning all of these wrong ways to say words! When she's in kindergarten I don't want her being made fun off because she wants to play "dasket-dall" or tells her friends "dye dye" at the end of the day, or can't drink out of juice boxes because she doesn't know how to use a straw!

So anyway, "Nonny" is off to bed. I just signed off of my class for the night (it's so weird that I can go to class 24/7 in my PJs if I want to), and I'm tired.