What does it mean?

Any Spanish used in blog posts is hyperlinked to its English translation.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Mami

The sweetest baby ever now says "Mami". Constantly, almost plaintively. And it breaks my heart.

She's NOT talking about me. She wanders around, reciting it to herself. She stares out the car window (while I am sitting next to her on the other side), repeating it over and over. There's barely a pause between iterations: "Mami. Mami. Mami."

Both my suegra and the nanny have coached her on this. During meals or diaper changes, they each recite with long, over-emphasized syllables: "Maaaammmmiii. Paaaapiiii." And since neither Mami nor Papi are around.... well, of course she learned no meaning to associate with the word.

I pointed out to each of them that it doesn't make sense to ask her to say "Mami" when Mami isn't there. But neither one understood what I meant. I should have insisted they stop. :-(

Both my suegra and the nanny are so proud that she says it. I am getting tired of smiling when they mention it.