When is a first word really a first word?

Sometime before this last week of runny noses and earaches, before the bottles of Nyquil, before the sick days off, before I discovered Sprout network for babies, before the whining and lack of sleep....Jack said his first word.

Or did he?

Sure, he's been chanting "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma" and "da-da-da-da-da," but to our knowledge he has no idea what "ma-ma" or "da-da" means. Every once in awhile, he'll string two other syllables together to make a word with no realization of what the word is.

Rewind a few days......Jack has an exersaucer with lots of toys attached. It makes animal sounds, has animal names in English and Spanish, plus a little classical music if you hit the buttons in the right combination. Yes, toys have evolved supposedly to make kids smarter than we were when we just had a rattle.

Jack was banging on the duck button and right after it said "duck," he said as clear as could be "duck." He went back to jabbering and ever since I've been holding up a duck and saying "duck." So far, nada.

It could've very well been "pato." I don't think he would've known the difference.