Category Archives: baby

Welcome Westley!

In the middle of the night last night, at 2:13 a.m. Tanya gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Westley.

Congratulations, Love!
Despite having gone to the hospital, (and will be going back not long from now), I have yet to see more than a few pictures of him, he is in the NICU. He is fine, just a couple of things that required precautionary measures, and when it comes to tiny babies, precautions are good. Hopefully I will get to meet him within the next twenty four hours.
Heaven knows we have all waited long enough to meet him.
In a month or two, when his immune system is all healthy, I will bring my kids over to meet their new little “cousin.”
Just to note, my daughter is born on my dad’s birthday, and Tanya, who is like my sister, had her son on my mom’s birthday. Interesting.
Also, yes, it is my mother’s birthday today, and no, I am not ignoring her, she will get her own blog post in just a second (even though she totally ditched me today to go to Palm Springs with her friends!).
In the meantime, here are a few pics of little Westley.
Awww… she looks so happy!
Casey with his new son…
P.S. Tanya, you are going to make an amazing mother!
P.P.S. If ever in doubt, just remember, you couldn’t possibly screw your kid up more than I have done to mine. I pelted my son with stuffed animals, and as a result he is terrified of spiders. Just keep that in mind.

Speaking In Third Person

I was at Target with my son, and he was trying to climb out of the basket as I was paying. I don’t even know how he maneuvered that one, but he did. I told him “Mommy said no!” The woman behind me kindly informed me that I probably shouldn’t talk down to my son as it may create self esteem issues. And I told her that falling out of a shopping cart may create brain damage issues. But I digress.
This is actually not the first time I have heard people complain about mothers speaking like that to their children. I have even read blogs about it. But what a lot of people don’t know is that small children don’t understand anything besides third person. However they refer to you is all they know you as. So if a small child knows you as “Mommy” that is the only way they identify you until about the age of two. They do not make the connection that “I” and “you” can both refer to “Mommy.” They are not even aware that “you” can refer to themselves. Hence you always have to use their name. Exmaple: “Ducky, Mommy needs you to stop that.” Seriously. Try it. If you have a very young child, or easy access to one, just say “I need you to stop (fill in the blank).” See what happens.
Yes, I am well aware that most of the language I use with my children has a “cutesy” factor to it. I don’t have to call them little nick names. And I don’t need to be known as “Mommy.” But the reasoning behind it is actually sound.