northern exposure

if i didn't know any better, i'd swear our daughter is being raised in the bronx. or boston. or one of those northern cities with less-than-appealing accents. (my apologies to any yankee readers ... i know that there are many wonderful aspects of living where you do. but your way of talking isn't one of them.) susanna has recently aquired the habit of prefacing most of what she says by the word "hey." and i'm not talking a sweet, drawn out southern hey (pronounced "hayyyyyyeeee") -- i'm talking a short, choppy, masculine-sounding HEY. when added to the fact that she cannot pronounce the "r" sound at all, this is what my three-year old southern belle sounds like on any given day: "HEY. please pass the play-doh. i need some moe-wuh." (translation: i need some more.) or, "HEY. i know i left cindewella in my baby cwib. i'm shoe-wuh." (translation: i'm sure.) or, "HEY. i only have thwee cookies, but i weally want foe-wuh." (translation: i really want four.) and trying to correct her? my strong-willed, headstrong susanna? fuhgeddaboudit.