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“Timo”

That’s pronounced “Tie-muh” with a hint of swallowed “n” at the end, and it’s how Anyieth says Simon’s name.

Yes, you read that right, Anyieth, as in Agotich’s baby sister who is not yet one year old but who has been saying “hi”, “bye-bye”, “Mama” and who knows what else since she was 10 months old. Which happens to be the same age at which she began walking.

Anyieth, like many second babies I guess, is desperately trying to catch up with her big sister and join in the fun. She sat up early, she cruised early, and now she’s walking early. More excitingly to me, especially given her sister’s hesitancy, are her verbal and social skills. From very early days she made eye contact and babbled in response to my talking to her. In short order, the babbling took on the rhythm of adult speech and was accompanied on occasion by appropriate hand gestures.

Now, before turning one, she’s trying hard to add some vocabulary and start expressing herself. She’s nearly always smiling and appears to be a happy extrovert like her mother. Give her one more year, and this one will be quite the conversationalist.

And you know, it totally makes sense that she’d try to say Simon’s name. He’s a kid, but he’s been fussing over her since she was three months old. He kisses her all the time, oohs and aahs over her every development, engages her in play with her toys, and has taught her how to play ball. He loves her, and he’s been a great big-brother/older cousin figure to her.

Nor has her saying his name gone unnoticed by young Mr. Whitworth. He’s told everyone about it. The preschool director, his teachers, other moms we bump into, everyone. He’s obviously proud and honored by “Yetha’s” verbal accomplishment.

Oh yea, the other word she popped out with this week? “Ke-ka.” That’s me, and I’m honored to make her short-list of words. I don’t get to tell as many people as Simon, but I’m every bit as happy. That Yetha is a one-in-a-million baby.

 

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