PipSqueak’s Confusing Dictionary

PipSqueak’s Confusing Dictionary

PipSqeak got her hearing aid right after her cleft palate surgery. So before that, she couldn’t hear, and there were a lot of sounds she couldn’t make. “Ma-ma” was her universal word for everything. We had to count the number of syllables to guess what she was sayings. For example: Ma-ma-ma = banana.

Now she can hear and talk, so she is saying a lot more. It reminds me of a 1 year old who says “ba-ba” for bottle, ball, banana, and anything else which starts with the letter “B”. Except it’s more complex than that, because PipSqueak is 2 years old, so she says lots of words, and each word has at least 3 meanings.

IMG_7706This morning, she was pointing at the fridge, yelling “gah-gah!” Honey, Dada is not in the fridge, he’s in his office working. “Gah-Gah!” No, you can’t have chocolate for breakfast. Oh, you want katchup on your sausage.

I forgot that “gah-gah” means Dada, chocolate and ketchup. Those three words do sound slightly different, but they kind of all sound the same. So I began writing PipSqueak’s dictionary, to help me remember which is which, and notice how each word does sound sightly different.

PipSqueak’s dictionary

Ga-ga = Dada

Ca-ca = chocolate

Ca-cup = ketchup 

Key-key = stinky (diaper)

Chee = cheese

Ghee = sausage (minus the “saus” so she’s saying just “age”)

Ah-yah = Aria

Ah-po = up, apple, applesauce, or orange

Ah-po wee-wee = applesauce squeezy

Wee = TV

Bee = treat

Woa-wee = Chloe

Ow-wee = ouch, help me, or pigtails (help me restrain my hair, but it’s ouchy)

Ow-guy = outside

I’m a gu = I’m all done / It’s all gone

Hi a gu = here you go

Dah-gu = thank you

Oh = nose, toes, or Olivia

Bay-bee = baby

bee-boo, bee-boo = poopoo diaper

Buh-bur = sun butter

Bol = Ball

buh = Blocks

Buy = bath

Buy-buy = vitimin

Pie-pie = potty

Pay-er = (toilet) paper

Puh-pel = puzzle

Nigh-nigh = night night

Nigh-nit = blanket

Mo-er = more

Moo = moose

Wah-dloo 

Wah-dloo = water, but that could mean one of many things:

1) I’m thirsty and want a drink of water.

2) My hands are messy and need washed in water.

3) The table is messy and needs washed off.

4) I peed water in the floor and you need to clean up that puddle of water. 

5) “Wah-dloo goo gob. Yay! (Clapping) ca-ca bee?” = I peed water on the potty. Good job! Can I have chocolate treat?

Oh No!

Oh-neyo = oatmeal.

You see the problem with that? I ask, “do you want oatmeal?” and she responds, “oh-no.” Which sounds the like the opposite of what she is actually trying to say, “yes, I do want oatmeal.” Fortunately when she means to say, “no” she says a very firm “NYO!”

Sign and Say

This is where the beauty of sign language comes in. We are trying to learn how to sign important (food) words, so I can figure out which word she is actually trying to say. The problem is, our sign langue is the equivalent of mumbling. One “sign” has multiple meanings. Clapping her hands could be any sign which involves bringing both hands together in front of your body – more, cheese, paper, or maybe she is just clapping and cheering for herself.

Touching her mouth could mean water, food, Mama, orange or maybe just mouth.

Touching her forehead could mean Dada, moose, fix my pig-tails or I want my hearing aid on.

As long as we say and sign, so we can all clearly hear and understand what each other is saying, or at least narrow our guesses down to a couple options.

Becky TheBahaMama

Becky TheBahaMama

I spend my time making Custom Softbands and Accessories for Ponto, AdHear and Baha hearing devices. I am also a published author. I wanted our daughter to see herself represented in a story - a little girl who has facial differences and wears BAHA hearing aids. The book grew to include some of our friends who are all so wonderfully different. My first book, “Wonderfully Different, Wonderfully Me” features a diverse group of children and celebrates each child’s unique strengths. All children can see themselves in at least one of the characters, whether they look similar, or have the same interests or personality. "Wonderfully Different, Wonderfully Me" is the children's book that belongs in every household and classroom, to promote inclusion, acceptance, and friendship. Order your copt at: wonderfullymebooks.com

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