Here are some of my favorite “exchanges” between Abby and family members…

at the office with Mimi (Abby’s chosen nickname for Mommy Emy)…

Mimi:  What’s your name?

Abby:  Abby.

Mimi:  Abbyyyyyyy?

Abby:  Cunca.

Mimi:  Cuencaaaaa Suarez.

Abby:  Cunca.

Mimi:  Say Suarez also.

Abby:  Ani. (That’s Abbysh for “no”.)

Mimi:  Suarez.

Abby:  Cunca! (Pagalit na pagsabi sabay about face.)

In the bedroom before going to sleep…

Abby:  Dada, aaahhhhh (water).

Dada:  You want water?

Abby: (Nods her head.)

Dada:  Ok, let’s go downstairs. (After a few minutes, they’re back in the bedroom.  And just before they both lay in bed…)

Abby:  Dada, aaaahhhhhh.  (Baba ulit!)

In the bedroom just after waking up….

Mommy:  Good morning!

Abby:  Ming! Mimi?

Mommy:  She’s still sleeping.

Abby:  Kuya? (Referring to her cousin 10 year-year old cousin Jad)

Mommy:  He’s not here.

Abby:  Kylah? (Referring to her 7-year old cousin Kylah)

Mommy:  She’s also not here.

Abby:  Ngongong?  (Referring to my brother, her Ninong Edward.)

Mommy: Ninong’s also not here.

Abby:  Ngonga?  (Referring to Ninang Claire, Ngongong’s wife.)

Mommy:  She’s also not here.

Abby:  Mimi?  (Ok, roll call ulit!)

Sometime…somewhere…

Mommy:  Abby, how old are you?

Abby:  (holding up her pointer finger) Wee! (Ok, it sounds like “three” pero I’ll take it!)

at the dinner table….

Mimi:  How do you ask for water?

Abby:  Aaaaahhhhhh.

Mimi:  How do you ask for soup?

Abby:  Shhllrp. (At least she knows how to ask for these things…and the important thing is, we understand. :) )

at the office ulit….

Abby: (Picks up the idle phone) Hallow? (Mukhang naghihintay ng sagot.)

Abby:  Hallow? (Still no answer!)

Abby:  Hallow!! (Nagalit sa dial tone sabay baba ng phone!)

Dada’s favorite….

Dada:  Who’s the most beautiful baby in the world?

Abby:  Abby!

Dada:  Who’s the most handsome dada in the world?

Abby:  Dada!

Dada:  Who’s the most beautiful mommy in the world?

Abby:  Mommy! (Well taught!)

my favorite…before going to sleep….

Mommy:  Good night, Abby.

Abby:  Night.

Mommy:  I love you.

Abby:  Abyu. (Now, that’s enough to make my heart melt!)

Here’s an attempt to going back to “blogging mode”…

Just about after Abby’s 1st birthday, she learned to repeat her name after somebody says it to her.  I was just too happy when she would say “Abby” when asked what her name is.  You could just imagine my surprise, and everyone in our household for that matter, when, from out of nowhere, she started responding with the word “Kaka” (if you may call it a word) around December to January when asked for her name.

I was horrified!  AlthoughI knew deep in my heart that it was just a phase, I can’t help but wonder where and how she picked it up.  My worry was everyone might adopt Abby’s chosen nickname and she would grow up as “Kaka”!  That was just unacceptable!

I was hopeful that after a two-week vacation in Europe, this minor “setback” would be corrected.  When we were in Germany, I found out from our Filipino hosts that “Kaka” in German, means “poop”!  I hoped all the more that this phase would soon end.

For Abby’s 18th month birthday which we celebrated in Germany, Abby got a teddy bear for a present.  It was then that we decided that we name the bear, Kaka.  This, we thought, might help us in our little dilemma.  We would constantly point at Abby while saying her name, and point at the bear and say Kaka.  This went on for a short while.

Quite unexpectedly, Abby started saying Abby again when asked for her name.  Just like that!  This was a few days after we got back.  The thing is, everytime she sees a bear be it a toy, on tv or in pictures, she would happily point at it and say “Kaka”!  For now, I could let that be as we have another “obstacle” to hurdle, because these days, after abby says her name, she says “Cunca”, that is, Cuenca.  While I’m glad that she is able to say her middle name (my name!), this has become a sort of a minor concern for her Dada.  Less I be accused of not teaching Abby to say her family name, in the next few days (weeks?), Abby will have to learn to say Suarez…after she says Cuenca, of course! :)  I know that in her own time, as she has already proven, she’ll be able to say Abby Cuenca-Suarez. Ha! ;)