When asked to point out to his head, eyes, ears, teeth, tongue, nose, hands, legs, stomach, bellybutton and bum, he gets a 10/10. 18 months into his life and he's doing pretty well for me. Connecting words to form sentences at his age was something I never expected. He does this especially when he wants Abu to take him out or wants me to nurse him. And oh yes! he loves to be cuddled after he's woken up from sleep.
His morning routine still has prayers first. During the evening prayer time, he loves to clown around. Yesterday was the first Sunday he stayed in church for the whole mass (else, Amrith and I would have to take turns in keeping him entertained outside church). There was another kid 15 months old who was seated with his grandfather on the row behind us. Compared to him, Joel looked like a school kid. But the chap was such a fiesty li'l guy, Joel landed up observing the guy and all that he did. I was suprised he didn't follow the kid's example. He just sat there watching him, looking at Amrith & me and smiled. When thethu held the kiddo, that did it for Joel. Thethu's on the "hit" list of late and this made her go on his ignore list. Joel was J. He forgave and forgot her gaffe by the time he woke up from his afternoon sleep.
I've been trying to count the number of words that Joel can say as on date. Here's the attempt to capture them all.
Warning: not all of them make sense, but he sure makes himself understood with what he says:
- Mamma
- Nanna, nannu
- Dada
- Abu, Aba
- Bittu <-the dog in Udupi. To him every dog is bittu.
- thap (Aiiyeee (equivalent to Ouch!)
- Zai <-I want in Konkani
- Di <-Give in Konkani
- Ukki, ukki <-short for ukol - lift/pick me up in Konkani
- Thai <- this stands for light, fan, sky
- Pavs <- Rain in Konkani
- Ba <- Come in Kannada
- Meow
- MoNei <-stool in Konkani
- Dudu, dudi <- milk in Konkani
- Ya <- let's go in Konkani
- thaathi <- sleep or sleepy in Konkani
- babbuti
- guggucha
- budhum budhum
- dummu, dummu <- used to ask my dad to play his 'drum'
- Paai <- leg in Konkani
- zowya <- let's eat/please eat in Konkani
- Pampi <- short for pampers
- ad <- get it in Konkani
- Akai <- since he can't pronounce Akash
- adu idu <- this and that in Kannada. He says this every time he sees Akash's mom
I guess I haven't captured all of them. There are more I know he says which I can't recollect at the moment. Shall add them at another date and time.
