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Friday, July 31, 2009

First Word!!!

Gwyneth said her first word last night! We're so excited! She's been babbling a lot lately, but we're pretty certain this is the first time she has said a real word and understood it's meaning at the same time...

Some of you may know that we're teaching Gwyneth to call me "Papa", simply because I think it's cute and we like to do things other than the norm. Gwyneth's speech therapist warned us that "p" is often more difficult for babies to pronounce, so we should expect her to learn other words first...

Well, Tricia was driving home last night, and told Gwyneth, "We're going home to see Papa"...sure enough, Tricia says that Gwyneth said "Papa" with a pronounced "P" a few times. I heard it myself a few times when they arrived home, and we tried to get it on video (via my cell phone)...she got so close to saying it again a few times, but around 29 seconds on the video below, you can clearly hear her whisper it...



It's been amazing to watch the light bulb turn on over the past month...she has done so many new things in just the past few weeks. What a fun age!

Nate

97 comments:

  1. WOOOHOOOO YAYYYYYY Geyneth!!! Thanks for sharing.. this has made me smile.

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  3. What a blessing! That is so much better than winning a lottery or whatever. Thanks for sharing. She is beautiful!!!

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  4. Go Gwyneth!

    Totally got both me and Sarah sitting mesmorised at our computer screen in the centre today (when we should be working...but this is FAR more exciting).

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  5. First everything is exciting, but when they start communicating verbally it is great. A whole new world! Yay for this new milestone :-)

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  6. That is awesome! My 28 week preemie didn't say her first word until she was 22mo and still only says a handful of words at 28mo. Go Gwyneth!!!!

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  7. Awesome! What a big girl she is becoming. This is a BIG deal for any child and a super big deal for little Gwyneth who has come such a long way. Congratulations Papa! :-)

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  8. There is nothing like hearing your baby say her first word! Once she "gets it" she will start learning more words so quickly and be talking up a storm before you know it. It is a great time. My son's first word was "car." We were in a parking lot and he pointed to one and said "caaaa." It was very cool because he associated the word with the item. I still remember that moment and he's nine!

    Thanks so much for sharing your story with us...every time I see pictures of your family I am reminded that God still does perform miracles.

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  9. Way to go Gwyneth!!! Congratulations, that is so AWESOME!!!

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  10. She has the most beautiful smile!

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  11. I was just catching up on the last few posts (I mainly just follow you on facebook and twitter) and I'm so happy at how well your girls are doing! Yay for Gwyneth's first word! I bet you're so proud!! :)

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  12. I love how she turns her head towards Papa when Tricia says "Papa" and gives you a big smile. Too cute! BTW- I heard it!!!

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  13. Incredibly cute. What awesome news.

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  14. OMG, she knows papa is you. She just wants to say it so bad, and she does a little bit. Wow, they must think we are crazy the things we do. We all made a big kick here last night about Aidan playing peek-a-boo, and he kept right on, and liked it best when we clapped for him. keep up the good work. Going to be in Myrtle Beach next week. Let's hope no rain!

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  15. How exciting! I bet that she will start exploding with words now! Have you tried Nordic Naturals DHA ? My 21 month old had a language explosion right when we started and I can't say for sure but I think it had something to do with it. A good friend of mine who adopted from China said the same thing, so who knows!

    Go Gwenyth!

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  16. So exciting! She has the sweetest little voice!!

    Amy in PA

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  17. Yay!!!! We're a Papa family, too. It was our little Munchkin's first word as well. Little girls love their Papas! Congratulations :)

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  18. How exciting!! YAY Gwyneth!!!

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  19. yeah gwyneth!! and yeah for you!

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  20. OK I just want to cry a load of happy tears now! Absolutely beautiful.

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  21. That's so cute! It's a wonder her first word wasn't cam'ra!

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  22. That's so funny! I love when she looks at you and smiles - so cute! Papa is what our children call my dad and it was actually our daughter Morgan's first word too. Adorable video - adorable Gwyneth! Yay!!!

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  23. That is AWESOME! I can't wait for our little girl to say her first word - I'm sure I'll cry!

    Yay, Gwyneth:)

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  24. What a wonderful first word! I can tell you are bursting with pride!

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  25. Yay, big girl! I love her smile to her "Papa". What a great milestone.

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  26. I have goosebumps, not only hearing Gwyneth, but hearing Tricia's remarkably beautiful voice as well!!! Thank you so very much for sharing!

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  27. WOOOO HOOOO!!
    That was so very precious!!!!

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  28. You guys are great!!! Hooray for Gwyneth! I loved watching her face as she heard "Papa" then looked over to find her papa. So cute!

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  29. YAY!!! how sweet... she is adorable!

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  30. Congrats Papa! So cute. Love her smile too!

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  31. I love how she keeps looking over at you like, "what he's right there??" HAHA!

    Way to go Gwyneth!

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  32. That's fantastic! I laughed with delight! It's obvious she knows what "Papa" means because she looked at her Papa every time Tricia said the word. What a precious blessing Gwyneth is! Thanks for sharing.

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  33. You guys should be coaches! I am sitting here willing her to say it along with you! It's so cute. She might start talking nonstop soon!

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  34. Look at her! Trying & concentrating so hard! What a smart girl! When she whispered it, I actually clapped- like I used to for my own daughter...except I'm watching a video. Yay Gwenyth!!!

    Also, Nate, a friend of mine from high school has a daughter in the NICU right now. Her baby has had quite a few challenges thus far. I referred her to your blog for...for hope & strength. She may contact you. I'm sure she'd appreciate any prayers.

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  35. Oh my gosh, that was just too cute! She has the sweetest little voice ever. I just loved her little smile that she'd give every so often, as if to say "geez, mom and dad, *I* know I can say it, *YOU* know I can say it...and you certainly know how to say it...but I'm sure as heck not gonna say it for the camera!"!

    P.S. My girls call my dad Papa...it's such a cute name!

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  36. Go Gwyneth, Go Gwyneth! You can definately see those wheels turning in her head. Thanks for sharing.

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  37. It is darling watching the wheels spin behind those beautiful eyes... trying her best to get the sounds to come out right.

    kids are precious.

    ToOdLeS.

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  38. Adorable! I love how she keeps looking between both of you--she's so attentive!

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  39. PEOPLE. It is sooo obvious what all that smiling is about. Allow me to translate: "Look at these two. Two syllables and they're all up in a girl's face. Easy pickin's. Hmmm, what do I want to be driving in 15 years?"

    Nate, you and Trisha are in sooo much trouble. Better start practicing "NO" now....before it's too late.

    There's cute. And, then there's KA-UUUTE! Such sweetness in that face.

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  40. How exciting!!! Yay! Nothing better as a parent than hearing that.
    enjoy before the bad words come :)

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  41. That is so darn charming! She is clearly aware of how earnestly you guys want her to say it and how happy it makes you when she does - that's probably such GREAT incentive for her to just start adding to the vocabulary left and right. Se looks as if she is thinking "Wow- these guys are pretty excited - maybe I just found the key to communicating with them" Anyhow, excellent, fun times!

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  42. You can totally see the little light bulb blinking above her head. Well done, baby girl!
    Becky (Fletcher) Holloway

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  43. That is amazingly cute!!! Feels sooo good, doesn't it?

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  44. she is so cute!
    and so cool she is learning to say dad in italian!

    Valeria,
    from Italy!

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  45. Congrats to Gwyneth & to you Nate. It's always a thrill & honor when they say YOUR name first!! ;-)

    I also love how she is looking back & forth between you & Tricia.. you only imagine what she is saying her in head. It's almost like she's laughing at you guys! LOL

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  46. So sweet!!!!! Our daughter calls her grandpas 'papa' and still has to whisper it or it comes out 'baba' (she is almost 19 months old, too)!!

    Gwyneth is getting so big and more and more adorable all the time if that's possible!!

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  47. YAY GWEN!!! You know it's murphys law 103 of babies that they will be doing something incredibly cute and do it a hundred times, but as soon as the camera comes out, they stop, Right? (HOLY run-on!)

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  48. So precious. You can tell she loves her papa through those smiles. What a little sweetie. thanks for sharing this milestone with us Nate and Trisha. ~Darlene

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  49. Great job, Gwyneth! You are getting to be such a big girl!

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  50. Yay!!! We call our dad Papa as well and my kids call him papa too. I liked that we were different.

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  51. FIRST LESSON,,, they will NEVER do what you what when you want it... she did say it and will OVER AND OVER AGAIN WHEN YOU ARE IN THE NEXT ROOM!!!!!!!!

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  52. Papa... Aw, I LOVE the way she is looking at you guys, just looking looking back and forth. Tricia you have the sweetest most angelic voice, it sounds like she is going to take after her mama!

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  53. Ok, I had to watch her again, is it just me or does she look at Papa whenever you say it! She is amazing.

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  54. Neato!!! How adorable is that! Gotta be fun to watch her learning new things and I'm thrilled she said her first word! :-D Pretty soon, she'll say mama! :-)

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  55. Yay Gwyneth!!!! I love how she goes back and forth looking at the both of you like, yeah there is Papa =]

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  56. Wow, that is great!!! So exciting. And you sound like my husband and I when we are recording...."Do it again, do it again" LOL

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  57. If you watch and listen closely she was saying "Grandpa".

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  58. I love it! Her face throughout the whole video is so funny!! I love hearing the sound of both of your girls Nate :)

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  59. I'm surprised her first word wasn't "camera"!!

    Are you all doing baby sign? Very powerful way (backed up with research) to unlock communication while they are still mastering speech.

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  60. Awsome!!!! way to go Gwyneth!!!

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  61. she's like "I said it already, why do I have to do it again?!" too cute!! she is really coming along! so proud for you.

    Selina.

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  62. So sweet! I called my grandpa Poppa and now my grandkids call my husband that. It was one of their first words. So, take that Speech Therapist. LOL

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  63. How awesome is that?! I am so sitting here with my lips in position, as if I am the one trying to get her to say it! Too funny. Oh so sweet. And what a miracle to witness. :)

    You go, God!

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  64. This is the sweetest video!

    Yeah Gwyneth!

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  65. Saw this in the paper today and thought of you!

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/northamerica/usa/5946284/On-the-spot-threat-to-North-Carolinas-unspoilt-beaches.html

    Alison

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  66. So so cute! Way to go Gwyneth!

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  67. My kids always did things for me and they always made a liar out of me by refusing to "perform" for anyone else!!!
    Gwyneth is really doing well for an 18mth old who was a preemie! She will change so much in the next year!
    My niece was full term- and never said a word until she was 24 mths-
    now she is in University-

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  68. Thanks so much for sharing that great video. You can really see that Gwyneth knows who papa ist and that she's wondering why her mommy and papa are sooo excited. As she is a very polite girl she just smiles and wispers "papa" to find out what really is so exciting about saying papa while he is standing right there.
    She is become more beautiful everyday and I am so happy that you give so many people the chance to bright their day with pics or videos of you little miracle.
    Thank you.
    Kati

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  69. Yipee! How exciting. It only gets better from here and every time she says it your heart is going to melt.

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  70. How sweet those words are huh Nathan & Tricia.
    Had to laugh at your Dads comment Nathan and also the comment that joked they thought camera would have been Gwyneths first word.
    God Bless You Three.

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  71. ooopppsss also wanted to say, Come on now next word up has to be for the Mama, it is time for Tricia to hear Mama. =) =)

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  72. Yea for Gwyneth!!!

    You do realize that she's going to be doing LOTS of new things on a pretty regular basis. She's at such an exciting time of her life and she's got such great teachers! Thanks for making my day.

    Love to all.

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  73. Wow!
    Thanks for sharing her progress, it is amazing to watch her grow, I feel like a proud aunt!

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  74. That's one AMAZING child....!

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  75. That is the cutest thing I have seen in a long time. I'll be going to bed with a big smile on my face!

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  76. I haven't commented in awhile but I still check-in almost everyday and while I have never met you, I don't think I was any less excited seeing that video than when my own kids started talking!

    Her growth has been amazing to watch, I started following your blog just before Gwyneth was born and what an amazing little girl she is! But what else could be expected with such incredible parents!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Emily

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  77. Yay Gwyneth! How awesome!

    (P.S. Not sure if you know of this site but www wallblank dot com is selling two prints this week to raise money for CF. When I saw it I thought of you and Tricia. if you don't want this in your comments, feel free to delete. I've never bought anything from them but figured I'd tell you about it.)

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  78. Wow! That gave me chills....how monumental it must feel like to hear that first word...and even more so to have it be "Papa!" You must feel so proud!

    You've got an amazing little girl, and she has an amazing set of parents!

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  79. how incredibly awesome was that. I had my mouth going along with her...."helping" her get that PaPa out! She is the sweetest!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!

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  80. The coolest thing is seeing her look at you because she knows you are Papa. Please tape her again in a few days cause I know she is going to practice that word in the next few days. We never tire of seeing Gwyneth's new accomplishments. She is so sweet the way she looks back and forth at both of you. The best thing is the way you say short sentences to her. She doesnt need to hear a bunch of words when you talk to her. In the beginning it is easier to figure out the meaning of what is being said when there are a few words. I work with children everyday and it is so exciting when they do new things. Way to fo big girl:>

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  81. In the middle of a very stressful morning that brought the biggest smile to my face! You have a gorgeous little girl and a beautiful family. God does pretty cool stuff, and your family is evidence of His awesome handiwork!!

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  82. You know what is just as fun to hear in this video? The excitement and joy in you and Tricia's voices. Love it! :)

    Thanks for sharing and thanks for the smiles.

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  83. There are 3 brilliant parts to this:
    1 = Gywneth's first word!
    2= everytime Tricia says papa she looks at you and smiles.
    3 = when Trica says 'she's trying so hard' she looks at mum and is so happy.
    Such family love and such a CUTIE!

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  84. So fun! Reminds me of when my G Rose said Dada the first time. She too whispered it to him, then said it louder and louder. Little ones just are not sure and they're tentative about it, but the praise certainly reinforces it.

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  85. Fantastic news! Way to go little one! Oh the first word is so exciting and means so much when we wait so long for it! Took us 23 months to get ours, 'more' and it is music to our ears! Go Gwyneth go!

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  86. Awww....This is just so cute!!!

    We have 5 kids, and are a "Papa" family as well. Two of our children come from China where "Baba" is the word for your father, so it's taken a bit to get them used to changing that b to a p. :) And our 4th oldest has a bilateral cleft lip/palate, so it's impossible for him to make the p sound right now. We are content with a "baba" out of him. lol

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  87. Does she have the sweetest lips or what? I found myself rooting her on when she kept getting so close. What a great video to have! And it is obvious she knows who ya'll were talking about since she lit up every time she looked your way.

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