Okay, we have all done it at one point or another. The cooing, slobbering, baby talk with the ones we love. No, I'm not talking about JUST when we were babies but also the times it is done in a romantic way. Oh you haven't personally talked like a baby with anyone? Whatever.. you probably just don't remember because along with the photos, and all the clothes left in your closet, the memories were burned in a fit of rage.

It is something I feel we can not help when we develop an attachment to someone, want to take care of them, and before we know it we are breaking out the baby talk. "Oh I wuv you snoogy woogy baby" - because nothing is more romantic than being treated like an infant. In some cases this is true - it can bond two parties together in a sort of sick, psychological, "growing up" together way. I think it's completely appropriate, to a degree, until someone breaks out the diapers - but thats just me.

After reading up about it on Wikipedia - the world's source for everything - it seems there are a number of ways baby talk can be used without infants (and a dose of romance) involved, one of my favorites:

Flirtatious baby talk

Baby talk may be used as a form of flirtation between sex partners. In this instance, the baby talk may be an expression of tender intimacy, and may form part of affectionate sexual roleplaying in which one partner speaks and behaves childishly, while the other acts motherly or fatherly, responding in parentese. One or both partners might perform the child role.

I guess we all approach this type of sensitive speech in different ways as it is something that can't really be avoided. Ever use or have been referred to as a "pet name", sugar-bear? That's baby talk and sometimes that special (generally secret) name is how we can identify our loving partner. It's a little secret baby name code between the two of you that helps bind you to the relationship and in some cases establish the "dominant partner" (male or female).

What kind of baby talk do you find yourself engaged in? What special words have meaning to you that might be a little embarrassing? Here are a few of my favorites to start the discussion:

boo-boo, googoogaga (not Lady Gaga), num nums, wee-wee, uppie, owie

I would tell you what they all mean to me but I guess it is better (and less "real) for you to use your own imagination on that.