Da-da De-ja-vu.

Either we are doing something wrong or we have genetic issues. It has to be one of the two.

The background:
When Dale was 10 or 11 months old, he pointed to a picture of himself on the wall and said "Day-da".
Baby! Yes!

I wrote it in his baby book as his first word.

And then he said, "da-da"
Yes, Daddy!
Word number 2!

And then word number three was another variation of 2 syllables, both begining with the letter D.
As was word number 4.
And numbers 5, 6, & 7.

Pretty soon just about everything was "da-da". It was obvious he wasn't going to be much of a talker. Thankfully we were also learning baby signs which eased frustrations on both sides.

By the time his 2nd birthday rolled around Dale communicated with over 50 signs and sound effects, some we had taught him and some he'd made up on his own.

2 months later, we arranged for speech therapy. Two ladies came to the house to evaluate Dale. They were amazed and impressed with his cognitive abilities, which were above his age level. But they whole-heartedly agreed his speech was not where it should be.

Within a few weeks of begining his once-a-week sessions we were amazed at the progress he was making. Soon he was calling me "Mama" instead of "Ba-ba", asking for "more" instead of his sing-song whiney sound, and saying "train" instead of imitating a train whistle.

After 5 months, the speech therapist said he was talking better than any of her other students (and had been for several weeks) and there wasn't much else she could do for him, or us. In the end, it was decided there was no reason physically, enivironmentally, developmentally or any other "ally" to explain why Dale hadn't learned to talk like any other kid. It was just a fluke.

Or was it?

Fast forward a couple of years.

You want to guess what 16 month old Alan says for almost everything?

Yup.

"Da-da"

We had such high hopes.

Daddy? "da-da"
Dale? "da-da"
Mama? "da-da"
book, eat, go, bath, shoe, night-night, computer, outside, & any other word a 16-month-old might need? "da-da"

There is at least one interesting variation. Train = "go-go". That's fun. Random, but fun.
And we've got him saying something that sounds a lot like "chicken". Because 'chicken' is such an important word in toddller's vocabulary.

Here's the thing: based on all research and common sense, we are doing everything "right". We read to our kids, even as babies. We talk to them, sing to them, narrate our day, limit tv time, and get down and play with them.

So you know what that leaves.

Genetics.

But not mine, thankyouverymuch.

Nope. It's got to be the Buffalo genes.

Seriously though.... does anybody have any idea what is up with these kids o'mine?

After all we've been through it really truly is a minor thing. But it certainly is an odd, curious little thing.