Dear Evan:

Believe it or not, there was once a time we thought you might not talk until much later in childhood, thanks to your premature birth. I’m happy to say that not only are you cognitively advanced (so your mommy and Mimi Jean tell me), you started talking early and rarely stop.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, a Glossary of Evan:

I-gah and Gee: The latter is pronounced with a hard g. These were your first not-really-words, mostly used to express unhappiness. Funny thing is, you’ve abandoned them, but your mommy and I still say them to each other.

Gah (Gus): Your first word was, of all things, the name of our gassy, cranky Golden Retriever. We were hoping it’d be something like Tree or Encyclopedia, but no, you pointed to Gus and said “Gah!” Still do.

Bit-bit: Or sometimes just Bit. Lil’ Bit is our other dog, a rat terrier. He’s your favorite, because he’s your size. Some days you’ll spend half an hour just chasing him, laughing your little head off while trying to give him a hug. When you miss your fur-brothers or otherwise refer to them collectively, it’s “Gah Bit.”

Dis!: This. When you point at something you don’t know, or want to call our attention to, you say “Dis!” It’s very cute, but even cuter when it’s, for example, a banana you want. Then it becomes drawn out and plaintive: “Diii-uh-iii-uh-iiis?”

Ugh-uh: Hug. Hugs are not just given; they’re also announced. And wow, do you love giving hugs. So we’ll hear “Ugh-uh!” and then you curl your little head into the crook of my neck.

Wow: Just what it sounds like. I say “wow” sarcastically a lot, and you picked it up, intonation and all. It’s pretty freakin’ funny.

Boobie: Yeah. Just what it sounds like, again. Long story short, your mommy was discussing her rapidly shrinking chest in the car, and from the back seat you started saying “boobie boobie boobie.” And yes, you know what they are, as well. Now we need to work on the concept of discretion.

Boo-ie: Berry. Some children don’t eat their fruit and veggies. You? That’s almost all you eat. Your favorite are blueberries, but “boo-ie” can also include grapes and strawberries (sometimes “daw-boo-ie”). For a long time, you also called any spherical object (like security cameras) boo-ies, but these days, those are mostly “Baw” (balls).

Badabee: Banana. Yeah, no idea. This started as “dib-a-dee,” but has evolved to something closer to the real word.

Bee: Any bug. A lot of children’s books feature friendly bees. Your favorite bees are ladybugs, but if a fly gets into the house, you’ll point it out and say “bee!” so we can smush it.

Da-doo: Tattoo. Before we were comfortable with you splashing around the bathtub, your mommy or I would hold you while we showered. (It’s efficient cleaning!) I have tattoos on my shoulders and arms, and you would point to one, say “da-doo,” swing your head around to peer at the other arm, point at another, say “da-doo,” lather rinse repeat. (Sometimes literally.)

Daw: Star. Your favorite shape, maybe because it’s unmistakable. Of course, any object with star-like arms can be called a star, as can the starfish in your favorite movie, Finding Nemo.

Mimi: Either of your grandmothers, though the title originally belonged to your mommy’s mommy, Mimi Jean.

Day-ger: Danger. If we warn you away from something, you’ll retreat to a safe distance, peer at it and whisper “day-ger” to yourself.

Iggon: Corn. Stick with me here: Our tree in the front yard drops lots of acorns, so “Iggon” really means acorn. Soon after learning that, you went on a corn kick that really hasn’t ended. Love the stuff. We can put it down at any meal and you’ll eat it, frozen or on the cob or cooked (but not popped yet). In your little brain, “corn” and “acorn” were the same, so you’ll ask for “Iggon.” We do make very sure you don’t try to eat the little fallen nuts outside.

More to come,

I love you,

Daddy