Let's Talk!

Poor Adik, he's trying really, really hard to talk but just can't get the words out of his mouth. Our conversations usually go something like this:

Adik: Mom?

Me: Yes?

Adik: Um.... um....

Me: Yes, Adik? Did you want something?

Adik: Mom? Mom?

At this point I usually just try to get him to use hand signals or some other form of non-verbal communication to tell me what he wants. I have also started the process of toilet training him, since he can, sometimes, tell us that he is peeing or is pooping. Or, has already done it.

But that's when he's in his diapers. Now that I try to put him in underwear most of his waking time at home, it's more like this:

Adik: Mom?

Me: Yes?

Adik: Uh-oohh... [as he looks down at the puddle of pee slowly accumulating at his feet]

It's even more amusing when he's partially hidden and all I can see is his face but not his body.

With a budding vocabulary, he tries to string words together. But he only does this with names of people that he knows. For example, he would say, "Daddy-Adik-Mummy." Or, when he's held his breath long enough, "Daddy-Abam-Atok-Cikgai-Daddy-Adik-Mummy." He hasn't quite got the "ng" sound for "Abang" so Abang becomes "Abam".

He's also getting quite insistent about what he wants and doesn't want. I could ask him if he wants to eat and he'll give me a very firm and fierce "NA-NAK!" (as in "tak nak"); or if I asked if he wants to go to Atok's house and his tone changes to a manja, "Naaaak..." Just to be sure, I ask him several times, in English and Malay and I always get the same response.

Abang still needs to be reminded that Adik is still learning to talk and can't say very much. This is because sometimes Abang gets a bit impatient (he who could do 3-word sentences at 18 months old) when Adik calls him but doesn't say anything after that.

Adik: Abam?

Abang: Yes, Adik?

Adik: Abam?

Abang: Yes!

Adik: Abam?

Abang: Yesss...!! What? I say yes already...

Adik: [Silence]

Don't worry, Adik (and Abang), soon you'll be talking a mile a minute and nobody can stop you! In fact, we may even appreciate the silence we now have ...