The "Ba-Boon", "Ba-Ba-na" and the "Pa-Pa-Ya"

Baby En has been very cute these few days. Because he's been learning some new words...

Sometime ago, we drove past a big balloon and I asked him to say Balloon. Our little friend called it "Ba-Boon".

Then recently he tried to say banana, but it came out as "ba-ba-na".
However, he was able to say "Papaya" correctly the first time!

Sometimes, I think that he must think that the Ba-ba-na and the papaya are similar - both are fruits and the first sound is repeated twice.

No matter how many times we articulated it for him - the balloon, the banana, and the papaya, he only got the papaya correct.

And hubby has this habit of saying "No, it is ba-Na-Na, not Ba-Ba-na", and i have to remind him that we ought to encourage him positively and not put his efforts in trying to articulate down. So try not to tell him no, otherwise, En may end up being very shy or not willing to articulate new words next time.

So patiently, and suppressing my giggles, I will say "En, say Banana", and he will say "Babana" and I will have to say, it is "Banana, try Banana"... and so it goes.. and if you ask him what does a monkey eat? He will say "Ba-Ba-na".

I am trying to figure out the Baboon versus the Balloon, cuz it is very cute when he says Baboon.. maybe we will bring him to the zoo again and let him see the Baboon versus the Balloon for himself.