It's funny, because I notice now that Finn does his "mamamama" thing a lot when he's hungry (which I can tell because he starts chewing on his hands). Also, when he wakes up in the middle of the night (which is A LOT lately - have I mentioned how he's been keeping me up nights???), he lies in his bassinet and fusses and goes, "mamamamamama" until I go pick him up. Kinda sweet, huh?
I mean, really. I know he's not talking, per se. He doesn't actually know what he's saying, does he? I mean, he can't, right? He can't actually make some cognitive connection between that sound he likes to make and the lady with the boobs, can he? I just don't know. I don't want to kid myself. I don't want to make more of it than it is. Just baby babbling that doesn't mean anything, right?
You know . . . sometimes I look at him and I still think, "Really? You really have Down syndrome?" Because so much of the time it just doesn't seem like it. I mean, I know he does. But sometimes it just doesn't seem so.
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10 comments:
I don't think he connects the 'mama' babbling to you yet. I remember my pediatrician saying that babies first say the sounds and then usually connect the word to the person around 1 year old. But it is HUGE that he is able to make that sound at such a young age. Really most babies aren't saying 'mamamamama' until they are closer to 9 months! You got one smart little cookie! And a cute one at that!
Only Finn knows. And he ain't tellin'.
I remember having a hard time reconciling Evan's DS in my mind. Like you said, I'd just look at him and think "really?" even though he has obvious DS features and delays. I don't think like that so much anymore, not about the DS, but I do have a hard time with putting the word "retarded" right up next to my son. He's so funny and smart and devious and self-assured. I just have trouble seeing it.
Or maybe it's not that I have trouble seeing it, it's that I have trouble accepting it. I don't know. That word opens up a whole can of worms I'm not prepared to discuss cohesively at 5 in the morning. :)
Now you're getting it!I believe it is the beginning of deeper acceptance when you start to just see your child as child and not whole identity DS. For me now it is sort of like hyperfocus on any other part of her that makes her her, blue eyes, cute nose,blond hair,DS... I think he's falling in love with his voice! I love that stage. He is baby first, has DS after.and he surely is very cute!
I think it's great that he's saying mamamama. My little guy is 10 months old and still sticking with dadadada, even despite my daily attempts to get him to say mama. And as far as not seeing the Ds....I really do think our kids with Ds are more like other kids than they are different. When you look at him - you see an aodrable baby doing all the things a baby does!
If he hasn't made the connection, he will soon :)
I still have moments when I think "Really?" as well. In a way, I think it's good that I don't go around thinking "My kid has DS" all day long. To that end, sometimes I am surprised when I remember it.
Also, as far as the talking, who knows. But one thing our ST told us which has worked for G is that if she says/signs something that IS the word/sign for something run with it. If he doesn't realize there is the connection now, he will if you keep saying stuff like "Yes! Mama!" and pointing to yourself or something. He'll learn that saying these words (something that may just be babbling at this point) can get him what he wants. Does that make sense?
DS or not....babies are amazing and very very very smart. He absolutely has the cognitive ability to make the connection that everytime he says mamamamamam, you come to him and hug and kiss and feed him and he is associating that the sound he makes, get people around him to move and get excited back so YES!!! He is communicating! Yeah Finn!!!!
I'd take the connection. What can it hurt? You're only reinforcing the connection by accepting it's there and responding accordingly. Stella signs milk. She signs it while she's nursing. She signs it while she's eating. I'm taking it that she GETS the concept of milk.
I just loved his video, talking to you, the other day! Wonderful! He may or may not know that mama is you, but it doesn't take away the beauty of hearing it.
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