Talk about a big week for us over here at the Maddox house! Mary Aplin has taken her first step and said her first word…all in the same week!!!! And the first word is…drum roll please….DOG. Pronounced just as southern as can be: DAWWWG. We were at dinner two nights ago, all talking away with Mary Aplin munching in her high chair, when suddenly I noticed Pace and Mary Aplin were both giggling really hard and mocking each other. I started watching and noticed that Mapple Dapple was grunting a hard “D” sound. She was straining so much to pronounce that sound that her little face was turning bright red. Then, I noticed that it sounded like a little “awg” was out coming after that hard “D”. “Mary Aplin!” I squealed, “did you just say dog?!” As soon as she heard me repeat that hard earned word, she started clapping and smiling so hard I thought she might hurt herself. I ran down to the basement, grabbed a picture of our old, beloved and disappeared Buckley, and showed it to her.
Anyway, it’s gone on like this for a couple of days. She being very excited to pronounce her word, but me uncertain as to whether or not she really knew what she was talking about. I watched her look at the big Great Dane across the street and say it. And now, she has been consistently saying it about our picture of Buckley, so I’m claiming it. The first word! And here’s the video to prove it. (I’m so embarrassed that you’re seeing our wreck of a bedroom in this video, but that’s real life I guess.)
I have repeated all the normal first words: Mama, Dada, Sister, Pace, Bottle, Milk, Bite– over and over again. We don’t even have a dog here anymore, but she lights up like a Christmas tree whenever she sees one. Squealing with delight as they lick her face to pieces. And the bizarre thing is that “Dog” was Pace’s first word too!! When I told my Dad he said that maybe his grand-daughters would be Veterinarians like him, since obviously none of his daughters were going to be 🙂 I don’t know, it could also be that my in-laws love dogs in a huge way, and maybe they just inherited that love. Whatever the reason, we’ll take it!
On a more serious note, Friday night, after Mary Aplin first discovered she could communicate with us, she also decided she couldn’t sleep. On her THIRD wake-up, I gave up and just turned on the light in her room to hang out for a while. She immediately started straining with that hard “D”aaawwwg, and rejoicing triumphantly as I repeated it back to her. I was so filled with joy and wonder, watching my little person discover something new, something that would be a stepping stone for the rest of her life. The magnanimity of it all sort of overwhelmed me, and I thanked God for the reward of being a mother and getting to share something so special with her. After all these months of saying words slowly and coaxing her to try them too, the reward of seeing her understand is just hard to explain. Then in my sheer happiness, I started sobbing. I’m sure Mary Aplin was quite confused, but I just thought of my own Mom…how she must have felt this same way about me some 26 years ago. I felt a bond with her and a gratefulness for her, that you can’t understand, as a child, until you become a parent yourself. I wish I could tell her. Thanks Mom, for teaching me and thanks Mapple Dapple, for letting me share these first moments with you.
Abby! I am loving the video feed on here! You are going to have to do that more often 🙂 Miss you guys so much and look forward to seeing you soon..Much love from Auburn
That’s the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time! Does it count as a first word if Ford says “no,no,no” every time he throws his cup off of his highchair? Actually it’s more of “nuh, nuh, nuh” so that’s why I’m sitting on it for a while before I claim it. By the way, Claire loved the video and wanted to know where Pace was!
I was talking with Ben and we watched the video together!!!! What a joy to see it! I loved the frame kiss! 🙂 She comes by the love of dogs honest! Way to go Mary Aplin!!!
Abby, I have had so many of those same moments where I feel such a bond to my parents after having Sipsey. It is the hardest part of parenthood to me so far to not be able to share the many joys with my dad. Watching all you girls dancing with your dad at Adam’s wedding was bittersweet. I must say that the smiling face of Pace sitting on the toilet in the background is priceless!!!! It made my day.
I can’t watch video on my computer =(, but I’m so happy for her – it’s so much fun to see all these little (big) milestones – and now you have a way to record it and (hopefully) keep it forever!!!
That is just hysterical! My daughter, Mary McKinnon’s first word was dog, pronounced dawg, too! It’s amazing how emotional being a mom will make you. I cried when I learned MM sat at a table and in a chair and ate lunch while at “school”. It’s the little things for sure! Thanks for sharing the video of your beautiful baby girl!
I agree…I’ve never understood better or felt closer to my mom since having Ella. It’s VERY emotional having those moments of clarity and understanding. What a blessing when we finally “get it.”
Abby that video kills me. You sound just like a mother on a video camera. ha!!! I am having flashbacks to home video days growing up – My mom always sounds so hilarious behind the camera trying to make everyone do “tricks”! Congrats Mapples!!! Welcome to the world of words! 🙂
Precious, Abby! What a proper southern little lady you are raising:) she’ got the accent and all! And how fun to not just read about it but to see it live and in color! (I am trapped in the dark ages when it comes to technology and still marvel at the most basic things.) I love reading your posts! My heart is always so stirred and I feel as if I am sitting across the table from you chatting it up. When you were talking about the song Jeremiah wrote, I remembered Tegan and David’s wedding and the song he wrote for them along with one he wrote about one of your first dates. My poor memory is at fault here, but I believe it had something to do with you asking him the question of what his idea of a perfect day would be. Does that sound familiar? Anyway, Teg had a CD with that song and a few more on it and Cord and I loved it! We would love to have a copy of our own if yall have any. Big request, I know…just thought I’d throw it out there! Keep writing! Look forward to the next update! What a beautiful family!
Talk about a big week for us over here at the Maddox house! Mary Aplin has taken her first step and said her first word…all in the same week!!!! And the first word is…drum roll please….DOG. Pronounced just as southern as can be: DAWWWG. We were at dinner two nights ago, all talking away with Mary Aplin munching in her high chair, when suddenly I noticed Pace and Mary Aplin were both giggling really hard and mocking each other. I started watching and noticed that Mapple Dapple was grunting a hard “D” sound. She was straining so much to pronounce that sound that her little face was turning bright red. Then, I noticed that it sounded like a little “awg” was out coming after that hard “D”. “Mary Aplin!” I squealed, “did you just say dog?!” As soon as she heard me repeat that hard earned word, she started clapping and smiling so hard I thought she might hurt herself. I ran down to the basement, grabbed a picture of our old, beloved and disappeared Buckley, and showed it to her.
Abby! I am loving the video feed on here! You are going to have to do that more often 🙂 Miss you guys so much and look forward to seeing you soon..Much love from Auburn
I LOVED the video!! I agree with Caroline, you need to do it more often! It was so precious to see her get SO EXCITED 🙂 Congrats Mapples!
I love it!!!! She is so adorable, post more videos of the girls soon!
That’s the cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time! Does it count as a first word if Ford says “no,no,no” every time he throws his cup off of his highchair? Actually it’s more of “nuh, nuh, nuh” so that’s why I’m sitting on it for a while before I claim it. By the way, Claire loved the video and wanted to know where Pace was!
I was talking with Ben and we watched the video together!!!! What a joy to see it! I loved the frame kiss! 🙂 She comes by the love of dogs honest! Way to go Mary Aplin!!!
Abby, I have had so many of those same moments where I feel such a bond to my parents after having Sipsey. It is the hardest part of parenthood to me so far to not be able to share the many joys with my dad. Watching all you girls dancing with your dad at Adam’s wedding was bittersweet. I must say that the smiling face of Pace sitting on the toilet in the background is priceless!!!! It made my day.
I can’t watch video on my computer =(, but I’m so happy for her – it’s so much fun to see all these little (big) milestones – and now you have a way to record it and (hopefully) keep it forever!!!
That is just hysterical! My daughter, Mary McKinnon’s first word was dog, pronounced dawg, too! It’s amazing how emotional being a mom will make you. I cried when I learned MM sat at a table and in a chair and ate lunch while at “school”. It’s the little things for sure! Thanks for sharing the video of your beautiful baby girl!
I agree…I’ve never understood better or felt closer to my mom since having Ella. It’s VERY emotional having those moments of clarity and understanding. What a blessing when we finally “get it.”
Abby that video kills me. You sound just like a mother on a video camera. ha!!!
I am having flashbacks to home video days growing up – My mom always sounds so hilarious behind the camera trying to make everyone do “tricks”!
Congrats Mapples!!! Welcome to the world of words! 🙂
Precious, Abby!
What a proper southern little lady you are raising:) she’ got the accent and all! And how fun to not just read about it but to see it live and in color! (I am trapped in the dark ages when it comes to technology and still marvel at the most basic things.) I love reading your posts! My heart is always so stirred and I feel as if I am sitting across the table from you chatting it up. When you were talking about the song Jeremiah wrote, I remembered Tegan and David’s wedding and the song he wrote for them along with one he wrote about one of your first dates. My poor memory is at fault here, but I believe it had something to do with you asking him the question of what his idea of a perfect day would be. Does that sound familiar? Anyway, Teg had a CD with that song and a few more on it and Cord and I loved it! We would love to have a copy of our own if yall have any. Big request, I know…just thought I’d throw it out there! Keep writing! Look forward to the next update! What a beautiful family!