Before babies say a single word, they’re already talking to us. This week we sit down with Kathi Frankel, RPT, MS, a neonatal developmental specialist who has spent decades walking alongside families through birth and NICU stays. Kathi explains how even newborn and premature babies have a language all their own, expressed through their behaviors, sleep and wake patterns, sounds, and cries, and why learning to “hear” it matters so much, especially when those first days don’t go as planned. We also talk about her board book, Here I Am , a gentle poem written from the baby’s perspective and meant to be read aloud to your newborn. Proceeds support Kathi’s mission to help refugees in Georgia. Whether you’re a NICU parent, an expecting parent, or someone who supports new families, this conversation is a reminder that connection can start right now, even amid the wires and monitors.