Talking

Hanna is now talking as well as babbling and uses a wide range of words, although mostly intermittantly.



Her first 2-word sentence was "dady bye-bye", back in December. Then "mama to" ("with Mum too" - for example when I take her somewhere and Rika doesn't accompany us immediately) and "Dada doko?" ("where is Dady?"). Last week Hanna said "Kirei ne?" ("pretty isn't it?") when we came back from the shop and gave some flowers to Rika.



Hannahs mis-pronounces some of the words she uses a lot, but seems to say new words more accurately, even if she doesn't use them. Right now she says "achi" for "hot" ("atsui") and "shipu" for 'spoon'. She has also invented a few entirely personal words like and "doku" for "cheese".


Her favourite commands are "up-up" (pick me up) and "mo ikai" ("one more time"), often as an order to me not to stop playing a game with her. She picked this up from an electronic toy that teaches katakana letters (which I bought for myself more than Hanna). This game also taught her "gambatte" ("try yout best"), and "zannen" ("no good" or "its a shame").



Hanna repeats phrases she hears a lot and sings along to songs. One of my favourite incidents this week was when Hanna ordered at a resturant. She looked the waitress in the eye, pointed to an item on the menu (sake actuallly), and said "ato.. ato...". ("and.. and" - which is the filler-phrase Rika says between each item she orders).



In the last 2 weeks Hanna seems much more interested in names. At story-time she chooses picture (word) books rather than stories. She enjoys having me read through them pointing-and-nameing, or asking her "where is the...".

Recently Ive noticed Hannah picking out a new word from what I've just said (e.g. "tissue") and repeating the sound with accurate pronounciation, but then not using it actively (perhaps because she doesn't understand the meaning yet). When she 'gets' a word she'll usually repeat it a lot ("ame-ame-ame").

Here, Hanna is telling me she really wants to be taken for a walk (she is also doing the sign for "walk", and pointing at the baby-carrier to avoid any ambiguity).




2008 Vocabulary

Dada (from May)
Mama (from May)
A-low (Hello, from May)
Oppai, or "Pai" (breast)
Bye-bye
Kanpai! (Cheers)
More or "Mou" (for more or "give me")
Up-up (request to be picked up)
No or "No, no, no"
Dako (cuddle)
Goo garr ("good girl")
Moo-chan (nickname of Grannys cat, Musashi)
Dojo ("Douzo" or "please")
Oh!
Ya! ("yes")
"Da-da bye-bye"
"Go-ta" (For "gochisousama")
Nai-nai baa ("Inai inai baa" = peek-a-boo)
A-ku ("Atsuku" or "make hot" - Hanna learnt this from our talking bath)
Baba (granny)

Plus various sounds:
Nya (cat sound)
"Gatan-goton" (train sound, from a book)
"Kan kan kan" (sound of railway crossing)
Woof-woof (dog sound)
Kira-kira (from the song Hige ji-san)
Papou (from Grannys cokko clock)
E-I-E-I-Oo (from the song "Old McDonald")
Cha-cha-che (from the song "toys dance the cha-cha-cha\")
Gwa-gwa-gwa (frog sound from a song)

New words in Jan -09

"Mama-chan tou" and "Mama tou" (with mum too)
Doumo (thank you)
Go-cha (for "got-you")
-dane? ("isn't it")
Walk
Oishi (tasty, yummy)
Dada-tou (with Dad)
Gomene (for gomennasai, sorry)
Ball
Ganbatte (try your best)

New words Feb-09

Haku (to wear)
Okay
Mummy
Daddy
Wakatta (I understand)
Pants-agette gyu-gyu-gyu (put on pants - from a song)
-ne? ("innit")
Daddy doko? (Where's Daddy?)
Dochi? (which?)
Matte (wait)
Neko (cat)
Motto (more)
Kawaii (cute)
Pachi-pachi (clap-clap from the sound of clapping)
Chi-chi (probably means pee)
Ame (rain)
Achi (for "atsui", hot)
Ca-mon (come on)
Ii-ne? (good isn't it?)
I do no (don't know)
Konbanwa (good evening)
Pee-pee (for pee-pee)
Ureshii (happy)
Ato... (next...)
Baby (for Baby Danone, cream cheese )
Inai-inai baa (with correct pronounciation)
Oh wow!
Papa-Richard
Chiisai taiko ton-ton ("small drum, boom,boom boom", from a song)
Kirei - kirei (clean-clean)
A-re-re-re! (for "Are!" or "what!")
Hello howaru
Mou ikai (one more time, impetarive)
Kirei-ne (pretty isn't it)
Zannen (no good or its a shame)
Book
Oppai aru ne? (breasts aren't they? - said to Dad in the bath!)
blah-blah - aru ne there's a blah-blah)
Neko iru ne (there's a cat)
Mogu-mogu (eating sound, from a book)
Aita or Ita (for Itai, it hurts)
Shoe
Beer
Beer aru ne (thats a beer)
Shipu (spoon)
Pee
Nato (fermented soybeans - a smelly japanese food)
Nani (what!)
Mou (again - as in "not again" or "oh no")
Akachan (baby)
Allright
Yoishou (what you stay when you get up)

New in March-09 (1st week)

Kochi (here or this way)
Why
Poo-ne
Cheese
Pantsu (pants)
Hontou? (really?)
Walkies
Bu-te-deta (I farted)
Goo (Good)
Hai genki! ("Yes, Im fine!" - response to a question on a kids TV program)
Poo shita (I did a poo)
Aku (open as in "open this!")
Nya-ne? ("thats a cat isn't it?" - to a waitress wearing Hello Kitty socks)
Pan (bread)
Gorilla
Biki (Hanna's name for her soft-toy rabbit)
Gyu (cuddle)
Fish

Flu

Well it was a tough week. Hanna and Rika came down with stomach flu. Hanna started vomiting repeatedly on 1am on Thursday morning, and until Saturday night she wouldn't take any food except nursing. She kept waking up every hour or so wanting to nurse with Rika. This was really tough on Rika, who started getting stomach cramps herself from Thursday until Sunday. On Friday the hospital diagnosed them both with stomach flu .

To let Rika get some sleep, I'd comfort Hanna through the small hours down in the living room. Hanna would doze if I rocked her in my arms or sling ("Dako"), and played her soothing music like Beethovens piano sonatas. But if I sat down she she'd wake up and cry...　　

This is 11am Sunday morning after a long night


By Saturday Hanna was eating again, but she had stomach pains and needed lots of holding until Sunday while Rika was still quite sick. They gradually came right over the next week.



This is the first time Hanna has been sick, so overall we have been pretty lucky.