I earlier reported that Isabel’s first word was “shut”, which she repeated while opening and shutting doors one day. She hasn’t used it since, though, so it’s open to some interpretation.

We just got back from spending the holidays in Omaha, where a neighbor of Julie’s mother had erected a giant University of Nebraska football mascot on his front lawn. Isabel became fascinated with it, and stared at it from the couch for extended periods while jumping up and down in glee. At one point we took her out to shake hands with the mascot, which she did with a complex mix of fear and awe.

On the night of the 30th, with Julie’s extended family at the house, Isabel kept repeating the sound “us-ka” and pointing to the window.

I’m rather afraid I have to pause for a moment to explain the genealogy of Nebraska football mascots. From 1964 until 1972, the mascot was Harry Husker. In 1974, Herbie Husker was introduced. He was replaced in the early 1990’s by the current mascot, “Li’l Red”. The inflatable on the neighbor’s lawn was an effigy of Li’l Red, but in our ignorance we were referring to him as Harry Husker.

Isabel was calling out to Harry Husker: “Us-ka”.

Staring out the window at Li'l Red, AKA "Us-ka".

This was a complex and surprising development. We discussed and debated it at length, and during a pause in our conversation, Isabel quite clearly and distinctly pronounced:

“Basketball.”

We haven’t been able to get her to repeat it since. It may be a fluke, or Isabel may be destined for the UNL women’s basketball team.