IndianRingNeck.com

Awwww ya'll my baby is talking away. It went from nothing to pure phrases. So for all of you that want your babies to talk... your day is coming and it just happens, just as a baby takes off on its first steps in life.

She is amazing. She has only been saying stuff we know are words for what 2-3 weeks? In that time this is what she has down very clear. Meaning anyone can clearly understand her, without a doubt.

Her favorites and most down pat sayings are (in order of how much she enjoys saying them)

1 Hey Baby, come on girl (this is her key out of the cage and she knows it)

2 Whatcha doing, huh (which is probably from watching Archimedes) I say it alot too so I dont know how she picked it up.

3. Wheres Poppy? (Jared says that 10 million times in the average day) I call my husband Poppy, dont know why just always have... or Boo. So Jared picked it up.

4. Maaaaaatt (because I holler it to my oldest sons bedroom because he never leaves it lol. Its funny because she says it exactly like I do, with authority and urgentcy.

5. Mimics my laugh which sometimes sounds sweet, sometimes sounds morbid... would rather she not do that to be honest. Kind of sounds freaky... evil? Hard to explain. Just weird and I dont care for it much.

She is practicing first thing in the morning, before/during her afternoon nap and around midnight. I suppose having a very talkative Mama promotes good speech. Ya'll know I talk. God do I talk. My ol man sometimes makes deals with me for 5 mintues of quiet but I cant ever make it that long.

So dont despair! Your babies will just one day start saying stuff. You'll hear it and discredit it with 'naaah, shes just mumbling' but then after some practice, out it comes and no denying it is actually words.

5. Good girl, come on girl or just a long goooood girl baby.

Another thing I wanted to mention:

By me referring to Baby as 'her' she now speaks to me gender-correct. If I would have always said 'boy' she would too be saying good boy or come on boy. Thus, if I ever get another bird that may speak, I will always refer to it as a girl so when it speaks to me, it is gender specific.

Just something I wanted to throw out there.

Thats wonderful Mik.

I am hearing things from kai that sound like they will definately be strings of things that I say to him, but he needs a little more practice yet.

I have had Kai from 11 months and he is now almost 17 months (6 months of speaking to him) I guess thats about right then because we got jordan as a baby (still on one feed) and he is 7 months or so now and I hear "Hello" come out often, its kinda by mistake at the moment, while he is chattering, so more practice for him too.

It really does look like.. ""first"" words take about 6 - 7 months of hearing and practicing to get the hang of huh??

do your babys say things that only you can make out.indie calls my name and tiffanys but me and tiffany are the only ones that pick it up.gets me how a 3 yr old understands what indie is saying but a 26yr old and 50+cant get it.i think they dont want to admit they call me for everything that happens around here.

No, strangers make out Babys words. When she FIRST started talking only I could assume what she was trying to say but now that she is quite the talker, I was right on what I thought she was practicing.

I dont understand why my girl speaks in phrases, no words. Probably because I never shut up.

It is soooo awesome I always spoke to her as a she because now HE refers to me in the correct sex. He says 'Hey Baby, c'mere girl'. Whereas, had I known she was a he, he would have spoken to be in the wrong context.

So, if I ever get another bird, I will refer to it always as she and girl so when they speak to me it is in correct context. Something to think about.

I guess thats one way of looking at how they understand speech.

He doesnt understand you were reffering to him. But he DOES understand that THIS phrase (Hey Baby, come on girl) is used for when he wants out.

That too is what I am gathering. They arent mimicers per se, the opposite actually because to mimic is to speak with no real purpose. Repeating what you hear, for example.

But by Baby knowing to say "Hey Baby, come on girl" to get out, because that is what I have always said when getting her out, they can speak in context. Or to make things happen.

I always thought birds to mimic. But if this is the case how would she know to say what I say when she wants out?

i was hoping it was mimicking because if you fall over indie laughs.

maybe he was just taught incorrect behaviour >.< I'm not sure birds actually have a sense of humor.

Mik I think its wonderful you are getting closer to your fid and seeing him learn new things

like i said once before when this topic came up .. I surely am not expert but I believe they do associate things you say with an action.

And someone else pointed out that you don't want to use repetative tapes to teach them words because then they just repeat .. hello hello hello hello as a sound not associated with an action. I fully believe, for example, that if each time they get a treat its after you have asked for a kiss.. they will start to ask for a kiss (noted it won't be to actually get a kiss but to get a treat) but its still word(sound) to action association. They mimic the sound they know gets them what they want.

This bird has really learned to work me. Im falling in love all over again.

I thought either she liked something on my breath or was being a meanie for a few days because when I would hold her she would lean in towards my mouth... not really like to attack but she'd never done that before. And it was sort of fast. We are dealing with ringnecks here. hehe

I finally just let her do it, trusting she wasnt going to rip my lip off. All the baby wanted was a kiss kiss and doesnt know how to ask yet.

I am really starting to see speech and actions in a whole new way now that my baby is getting so big. I reckon we do learn best through experience.

Now we are working on kiss kiss, in the meantime I am giving her plenty so she doesnt take her own.

I wonder when I'll start saying 'he' rather than 'she' -sigh-

Not sure when its safe so I wait for the ring, although that dance says it all.

aww! maybe she and louis have been hangin out! he says whatcha doin all the time and giggles.