Say My Name

Lucas, at 9 1/2 months, has entered a phase of enthusiastic babbling, "Dadadadada," he says, and, "Phblblblhth," [a phoenetic raspberry, near as I can figure]. Sometimes he becomes so obsessed with these variant raspberries that I find him leaning against his little keyboard concentrating, brow furrowed, spitting a steady stream of drool onto the carpet, "Blblblblblbl...Thfffffff..." he says, and so on.
Although I'm doing my best not to take it personally, Lucas has yet to make the "Mmm" sound, which means he doesn't yet say, "Mama." I understand, at this age, that even his "Dadada" is mostly just a sound. He doesn't really mean "Dad" anymore than he means "concentric circles," "cat," or "rhinoplasty." Still, there are moments it kind of gets to me.
Last night, for example, the three of us were on our way home in the car. "Lucas," I called to the back seat, "Say, 'Mama.'" Silence. "Say, 'Mama...Mama,'" I urged.
Nothing, then the rattle of plastic keys, then, "Dadadada."
I glanced over at my husband, who, although offering me a sympathetic pat on the knee, was trying not to laugh. "See?" I said, exasperated.
My husband shrugged, "Come on," he smiled, "he doesn't actually know what he's saying."
"Oh, I know," I lied, "but still." I sat for a few moments. "Lucas," I tried again, "Say, 'Mama. Mamamamama...Mamamamama.'"
"Phblblblfth!" Lucas giggled from the back, flinging his keys into the front seat.
"Maybe he thinks he's saying 'Mama?'" Ron offered. "You know how he shakes his head 'No' when he thinks he's nodding, right? Maybe this is like that..."
I briefly entertained that possibility. Currently, if you nod your head at Lucas, he breaks into a big, dimpled grin and shakes his head as if to say, "Nooo." At first we thought he was being contrary, but then we realized that he thinks he's imitating us, kind of the way his pat-a-cake claps more often resemble wings flapping. "Whatever," I said, finally. I had to laugh. If nothing else, the kid has great timing.

According to my own baby book, "At 13 months [Jonene] says, Da-da, Ma-ma, and Bow-bow-bow. At 1 1/2 [she] is really trying to talk...Her 'Mommy,' 'Daddy,' and 'Nene' are so cute! She mostly says first syllables so cracker, cookie and color sound a lot alike...At 2 years (& before some) she says the alphabet, Pledge of Allegiance, and counts to about 15 or 16. Everyone remarks that she talks a lot or fast."
Reading the first part of this makes me feel better. I was 4 months older than Lucas is now by the time I had the "Mama/Dada" thing down. And I guess that instead of "Bow-bow-bow" Lucas will likely learn a feline equivalent of some sort. Maybe, "Mow-mow-mow?" More probably it'll be, "Bad Beans!" or "Ba Bee!" as the case may be. We'll see.
I'll have to ask my parents, however, how (read: Why?) "Bow-bow-bow" morphed so quickly into "The Pledge of Allegiance." Although I guess it was the early 70s, so it was probably either that or the lyrics to "Rhiannon." Hey, maybe that was my third year milestone? The book doesn't say.