My daughter's first word was the usual "Da" for Dad. (It's easier to say than "Mama"). My son's first word was "Otto"--the name of our goofy white cat. [sigh] He still really loves the cats. My daughter's first letter was "B" when she cracked the code at 18 months old watching Sesame Street. My son was a little slower at that, probabably around 2 years. What's interesting is that they understand a lot of things before they can articulate it. Never forget that and always talk and read to even the smallest of babies.

SRS