Mama La Vida Lanka: My Name Is... Slim Shady?

Not only have hubby and I chosen what to call baby, we have chosen what baby will call us as well.  They say when you have children everything changes.  And that includes your name and your identity.  From just being a “John” or a “Jane,” you become a “dad” or a “mom.”  Quite advanced thinking I know but you see, it’s easier to settle that now because when we talk to baby in the tummy, I can’t refer to Mr. O as Mr. O or myself as Mrs. O, right?  That’s just plain strange.  So hubby and I discussed what that will be.

One fine Saturday afternoon, while having lunch at Cricket Club, hubby and I were within earshot of a British family also having their lunch.  They have two lovely children, one was a girl and one was a boy.  The boy was just intent on doing the activity sheet the waiter gave him.  The girl needed some things from her parents so she kept on calling them: “Mommy, Daddy” (in a fine British accent even for her age – quite formal at 4 years old!). 

Then a light bulb moment for hubby.  “I know what our kids will call us (excitedly): Mommehy… Daddehy.”  That’s mommy and daddy in a thick British accent.  Come to think of it, rewind to a couple of weeks back, I had the same idea.  Hubby was not serious in discussing the topic at the time so I let it slide.  Plus, really – Mommehy, Daddehy? 

Coming from me, yes it can be a joke.  But coming from my uber serious husband, well if he says it like that I will believe that he is not at all kidding. 

So I posed a challenge… It has to be something that would be natural to US too!  Hello? And what if baby already knows Filipino and how would a combination of a few words sound like: “Mommehy, Daddehy (in thick British accent), natatae ako (in thick Filipino accent).”  Hmm…

Ok fine.  Hubby still cracks the joke on “Mommehy and Daddehy” here and then but we have settled into what our baby would REALLY call us.  I grew up calling my parents Nanay and Tatay, I would like to be called Nanay.  It’s natural and I would like to say quite traditional as well… my father called his father Tatay and calls his mother Nanay.  My cousins call their dads as Tatay and mom as Nanay as well. So for me, My Name is Nanay!  Hubby on the other hand, wants to be called Dad.  So that baby will easily transition to “Daddehy.”  Haaay….

But for what it’s worth, we’re ready to be Nanay and Dad!


Note: After 6 months and a dose of creative inspiration, I've changed the series title from Mommy Diaries to Mama La Vida Lanka :-)