(In)Audibles

Babydaddy typically has to entertain Babygirl when she's getting her diaper changed so she doesn't cry or fuss too much with the procedure. Typical the dialogue includes, "Where's your hair?" and she grabs her hair, "Where's your belly?" and she'll pat her belly. "What does mamma say?" and she says, "ssshhhh" (from the song, Wheels on the Bus- the mammas say "sssshhhh"). I'll also ask, "What does the pirate say? and she'll say "arrrg".

We recently branched into animals like cow, bear, lion, doggie, still trying to get cat/kittens, sheep, duck and horse down. Interestingly, as auntie TP came to visit this wknd, she got stage fright and forgot all her animal sounds. Now when I ask "What does the lion say?" Like a good Asian girl, she'll cover her mouth and giggle. The same goes for the bear sound. Truth be told the bear and and the lion sounded the same, but when will the roars come back?

It's quite interesting how Babygirl has acquired language, or has stopped acquiring language. For instance despite Babydaddy and Babymamma asking if she wants "raisins" each day, she'll agree and state she wants "nonnies." Despite not really watching TV, she now knows who Elmo is, and refers to Elmo, as "Elco." Again despite corrections, her parents say "Elmo" and Babygirl says "Elco." Guess we got a strong willed baby.

Another word she has been saying repeatedly is "bucky, bucky, bucky." No one has any clue what she's referring to, but she seems to enjoy saying it and is typically smiling when she says it. The only thing I can think of is when I would call ducks, "ducky."

On the flip side, her comprehension of proper English words, commands and what not is improving. We can ask her to sit, and if she wants, she'll sit. When we ask her to use gentle hands, her lobstah claws transform to paint brushes. She can typically put things where she found them, when I ask, this especially comes in handy when she's taking out every card from my wallet.

One of the strangeest thing is that she'll wake up in the middle of the night and ask for a "bopple," not necessarily to drink, but just to have. Babymamma and I have discovered she just likes the comfort of a cold bottle near her at times, so we've now always have a babybottle filled with water on ice.

Babygirl is weird, but we continue to love the joy she brings to our lives.

It's So Hard. . .

. . . to say goodbye to Babygirl these days. Just the other day I held Babygirl, gave her a hug+kiss and began to leave just like every other weekday morning, only this time Babygirl let me know how she really felt. Babygirl threw down her sippybottle with vengence, began to scream/cry and stomp her feet. I was frozen in my tracks, how do I leave a girl who's clearly unhappy with saying goodbye.

I wouldn't say that Babygirl is more clingy, or needy, but I would say we continue to have our own special moments where we come up with new ways to bond, find new ways to laugh, or silly new things we learn together. She's into independent play, able to self soothe, and ask for things.

I guess in some ways my schedule has changed as I've been playing ultimate frisbee this summer(something I look fwd to starting in Feb). I'm away 1-2 nights a week for ultimate, but on top of that I'm working 2 evenings a week, so that really leaves very little time for quality time. Also in the mix, has been 7:3oAM physical therapy appts x2/week, which takes away from some AM bonding(although that's going to end this Fri.)

I wish I could say that Babygirl is just exhibiting large emotions with goodbyes, but it really doesn't happen when Babymamma goes out, or when we're leaving someplace, but it only seems to occur when I'm leaving by myself. I guess she's really letting me know how she feels, and I can't help but sigh, and feel guilty and sad for leaving.

It would be one thing if I just never came home, and I was perpetually absent every night, but it's the small amount of time that I'm home which is just a tease for her and perhaps gets her all excited to see me, and then quickly I'm going out the door. I can only hope that things will get better in time, but perhaps in time Babygirl will only begin to expect that "daddy just likes to go places with me."

I guess in many ways Babydaddy has got to do some thinking about his whereabouts on a day to day basis, and re-think his schedule, even if it means cutting back in work. How have other dealt with the balane btwn spending time with family vs. providing for family vs. balancing the needs of one own's self and sanity?

Father's Day

Happy Father's day to all the dads out there. I hope everyone is relaxing and not having to mow the lawn or anything.

As Obama says, "Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."

I hope that every dad is encouraged by the people around them to continue to persevere as fathers with the various challenges and difficulties of home, work, and the world around us.

May we continue to have the courage to be present in the lives of our children, the mothers of our children, and for the children whose fathers are not present in their lives.

not because i'm lazy

not sure why the posts have been slow and non existent, but in the absence of all this, i found an appropriate dad article for folks.

i can't say i'm like this writer, but i do like his question re: needing to reinvent the perception and conception of the American Man.

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2009/06/09/man_up/print.html