Pum Bah

Our near-16-month-old daughter Abigail has begun to develop her own little communication skills.

She's been pumping out the easy stuff like "bawwl" or "mom-ma" or "mel-mel" or even a few "dah-dy"s for a few months now. Everything else is either a cry, a grunt or a point, usually. But she's getting her message across.

Abby's been visiting Regina's (our sister-in-law) sister Sandra since the fall, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Jeannie works during the day. "San-san" swears Abby's been talking to her since day one, and we are now beginning to see the results of those conversations around our house.

I think it was last week at Aunt Donnis' that we got a huge revelation in terms of our youngest child's communication skills. Namely, the skills that tell you she's paying attention to a lot more than you give credit for a one-year-old toddler.

She has picked up the word "Pum Bah."

Actually not even sure that's a word, really. But we all know what it means.

Spongebob.

Abby saw a picture of Spongebob Squarepants and immediately recognized it. Donnis was all excited and happy, enough to pass the info on to Jeannie. "Really? Yeah, right," was my reaction when I received the news myself.

So we tested. Coby retrieved his Spongebob video game and we threw it in front of Abby's face one day, pointing and asking what really sounds like a dumb question: "Abby, who is this?"

She gave us the blank stare. Not even so much as a grunt. Maybe a little grin, but nothing more than she gave when she had gas bubbles in her tummy.

The Spongebob discovery was very unbelievable at that point.

But then it happened, out of the blue the other night. We were having a hard time getting her to go to sleep, which creates a lot of tension around the house. Jeannie was in the shower, trying to shake off said tension, while mine was building as I was left to care for the one-year-old with sudden insomnia.

After a few minutes of tickling and playing, Abby was getting cranky. I was running out of options. So I turned to the only card I had left to play -- the television. I searched the guide and none of Abby's favorites was available, so I found the only cartoon I could find that was on at 10 o'clock.

Spongebob Squarepants, on Nickelodeon.

And I kid you not, I finally heard it. First a baby chuckle, then "Pum Bah." I even got the point toward the TV set. And there it was, her first non-family-member recognition. Pum Bah.

All our kids have grown up with Pum Bah, apparently. Abby makes it three for three. I can't complain, I guess. I grew up with Scooby Doo and the Justice League. Now it's a little sponge guy living underwater in a place they call Bikini Bottom with a best friend who's a starfish and a pet snail named Gary.

Zoiks.