One of Sofia's first words was "Dudu" for our dog "Dudi". Since that time, she has referred to all other dogs and unidentified animals as "Dudu". We tried to teach her the right way to say his name many times, but it was "Dudu" and that was that. Well, now, all of a sudden, out of no where, we're playing in the backyard and she turns to him and calls him in her usual jarring tone "Dudi!". I can't help but wonder, maybe too much, what triggers these types of mental decisions to change the way she says something after saying it a certain way for over a year. I mean, I know eventually she will speak English like most people do and not like a European foreigner, but what made her decide to do it now?
Along with "Dudi", we now also have "Daddy" instead of "Dada"; "Mami" instead of "Mama" and "Nuni" instead of "Nono" which of course is the word for our other chihuahua, "Lolo". "Nuni" is a bit of a stretch though, I'm trying to convince her to go back to "Nono" on that one.
Sofia is also quite good with people's names, but only those that strike her fancy. "Rayyyy!!!" when Dada is not listening. "Jaw" for her cousin "Josh" is one of her favorites. He also has his own "hoohoo ... Jaw" song. "Miles" and Mile's mom "Tonya" next door. Her teachers "Mina" (Leah) and "Kim", but much to Wendy's dismay, she won't say her name.
One day while picking her up from school I tried to to get her to say Wendy's name after someone told me that they had heard her say it one time. My efforts were fruitless so I started talking to Wendy while I changed Sofia's diaper. I was telling her how Ray had been sick...
-- "Dada sick"
... and how he might have had pneumonia. Next thing I hear out of Sofia's mouth,
-- "pneumonia"
Not even this asian lady at work can say pneumonia, she kept saying "Oh, so Ray got amonia?". That's right, Sofia will say "pneumonia", but nope, not "Wendy". She's saving that for a later point in the language evolution.
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