Mommy vs. Steve

 My daughter might possibly be learning to say Steve (as in Steve from Blue’s Clues) before she says mommy.  I know that I have previously said that she can say momma and she can, but for some reason she says it very, very rarely and it’s never when I’m around.  If you say to her “where is mommy?” she points to me, so she knows who I am.  And on rare occasions if she is crying, sometimes you will hear her say “mmommmmomm.”  But she has never….ever…put the two together.  Does this bother me?  Only sometimes.  I know she will say it in time.  I know that some syllables are easier to say than others.  I know that for some reason everything is “dada” to her…everything.  I know this…so I don’t let it bother me. Instead we make it a game.  We’ll point to her and say “Jesalyn,”  and she just smiles and pats her chest.  Then we point to Jarrod and say dada.  She pats his chest and says “dada.”  And then we point to me and say “momma” or “mommy,” and she pats my chest and with her sweet sweet voice says “dada.”  Does she do this on purpose?  Who knows, but she’s too stinkin’ cute to get mad =)  

The other day she was in her high chair, muchin’ on some gold fish and watching Blue’s Clues (her new obsession) and Steve came on the TV.  She got so excited.  Her legs started kicking and she started squealing.  Jarrod and I always try to be excited with her anytime she’s happy so we played right along; “yay, Steve!  It’s Steve!”  And then what do I hear come out of her mouth?  “Sttttv”   Jarrod and I look at each other to see if she actually said it.  She’s at the point now where she jibbers all day and we try to make out what she’s trying to say.   Jarrod looks at Jesalyn and says “ I think we need to learn to say mommy before we learn to say Steve.”       I mean come on!  Steve? I’m way more fun and cooler than Steve right?    We just laughed.  What else could we have done.  I can be objective and see that it’s funny that my one and only daughter that I carried for 9months and spent 15 hours in excruciating pain during labor with so she could enjoy this thing we call life, would say “Steve,” a man who dresses in the same clothes every day and who’s best friend is an imaginary blue dog instead of “mommy” first. 

Steve might have won the battle this time, but the war will be mommy’s!  =)

                   

                VS