Bird Talk

I tossed and turned last night. I couldn't get comfortable. I couldn't sleep.

I moved out to the couch, hoping somehow it would be more comfortable. Stumbling around in the dark living room must have disturbed our sleeping bird. Io grumbled in his sleep and hissed softly at me. I told him to go back to sleep. He said, "seep seep." I replied "yes - go sleep sleep."

As I burrowed into my make-shift cocoon and tried to relax, Io kept talking.

"Pretty bird. Want to take a shower?"

"No, go sleep sleep."

"You are a pretty bird. Pretty bird. Shower? Shower?" Long pause... "Eeeeeeeeh." Long pause again, followed by another "Eeeeeeeh."

Io has been making that noise for a long time now. It's one of the few sounds he makes that's not a word or phrase we use daily. (He's great at copying our words and phrases. If Io can say anything than he learned it from us.) We assumed it was simply a bird sound. But there was something about the way he said it, his inflection, that made it seem almost familiar. Was it a word that we just hadn't figured out yet?

"What are you doing? What are you doing bird?" He hissed softly to himself as if closing his eyes and humming a lullaby. "I love you." Then the TV popped loudly as the room temperature changed. Io hissed angrily, obviously ruffled by the sound. "Be easy! What are you doing bird? Shut up, F--er!" (No comment on that one.)

I soothed, "It's okay, pretty bird. It's time to go sleep sleep."

"Eeeeeeeh," he replied.

Ooooh! It suddenly hit me. That exact intonation was mine! He was copying me. That's how I called for Lee when I needed help!

You see, I don't use Lee's name much. Usually I call him Sweetpea or nothing at all. Sometimes I just yell out "hey you!" if I'm talking to him. But occasionally, on those super rare instances, when I truly need help, I yell "Lee." But it's not just Lee. It's Leeeeeeee with a tad hint of pathetic desperation - maybe even a little whine in there too. That's how Lee knows I really need help.

And that's what Io had copied. There was certainly a whine in his "Eeeeeeh," and even a pathetic, desperate crying out. And it only makes sense that Io can't emulate the "L" sound at all. So that just leaves the long eeeee sound. And he HAD been making that sound for a long time now - probably as long as I've been calling out Lee's name for help.

Oooooooooo.

The next day, I told Lee about my theory and we had the opportunity to test it that night. Lee was in the office and Io was in the living room with me. Io called out "Eeeeeeeh," so I told Lee to come out to see the bird. Immediately, Io seemed pleased and comforted. It was ridiculous. And cute.

I think I should start calling my husband by his new name: Eeeeeeeh.