Honey, What Would You like to Be Called?

Just last week I was adding content to my 11 month old son's scrapbook and came across a page I had included long before his blessed arrival into our lives. My husband and I are part of the 'older' set of newbie parents and besides the wait for baby with prioritizing our careers, it took us a good while to fall pregnant when the time was indeed right for us. "Fall" pregnant I am told is not a common American expression, but you get what I mean right.

So after many months of trying, the amazing day arrived! Four home pregnancy tests and singing on top of my lungs in joy to the cat, Mooshi, later, this is the email I sent my husband entitled: "What would you like to be called?"

Sir

Italian Father = padre, babbo, Papa

(در زبان كودكانه) بابا، باباجان ، اقاجان. = Pedar

African Father = Pa

Danish Father = fader, far

Swahili Father = baba

Dutch Father = pater, vaartje, papa, vader, ouder

Portugese Father = pai

Latin Father = abbas, abbatis

Japanese Father = otokooya, daifu, chichioya

Now my husband is pretty sharp, a clever man one could say, but he did not seem to get my way of sharing the great news with him. In all fairness, we would have had numerous conversations at that point about baby names, what type of parents we would like to be and the rest. And, oh by the by, I can be convoluted!

His response: "I don't know, how about chichioya!! xoxo"

A side-note, we are not a Japanese family. And no, he was not being obtuse! And no, he is not referred to as Chichioya these days. Cute name though and always makes me smile when I read about language development in infants and how interesting it is that in so many languages the word for father or mother fit nicely with babbling (combining vowels and consonants) like ba ba and ma ma.

Next time I break the news, hopefully again soon, I may be more straightforward and avoid the explanatory 3rd email...although, that was a fun one too!