A grandmother was “shocked” – after her granddaughter said her first word at just three months old. Olivia Rock, three months, said “hello” to grandma Gillian Neil, 55, last Wednesday, October 30, 2024, while she was being changed.
Babies typically say their first word between 10 to 14 months old, according to Healthline – and Gillian was “amazed” Olivia had uttered her first word seven months early.
Gillian, a carer from Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, said: “I didn’t know what to do once she’d said it – I was so shocked. When I played it back to her dad, he said: ‘Is there a ghost in here?’
“I said: ‘No, it was the baby! I couldn’t believe it – I’m so glad I caught it on camera.” Olivia was born to dental nurse Amanda Davidson, 29, and her partner, delivery driver Graham Rock, 30.
Dubbed “the wee miracle” by her family – she was born four weeks prematurely, after Amanda was told she’d be “unlikely” to conceive due to her polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Gillian says the ordeal made the family “even prouder” – after seeing her hit a milestone so early. She said: “Throughout Amanda’s pregnancy, she was at a high risk of miscarriage.
“She had gestational diabetes, and there was a lot of bleeding. We had so many scans, just to check mum and baby were both okay. Olivia is a wee miracle – Amanda was told she wouldn’t be able to conceive with her PCOS.”
Olivia said her first word while Gillian was changing her last Wednesday. Gillian was singing to her while Olivia babbled along – until she said the word “hello,” seemingly in response to her gran. She added: “She was kicking her legs – I said ‘hello’.
“She said it back to me. It was plain as anything. I had my phone out, and decided to keep the video going. It was amazing – I’m so proud, she’s such a miracle. It’s definitely really early for her to be saying words.”
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