Hey, Babe!

I will never forget the moment Grace first called me 'Mama'. It took her a long time so when she finally said it, I was ecstatic. Every once in a while, she'll call me 'mommy' after hearing other kids, but for the most part, it's still 'mama'.

Then Mike came home. Now she is starting to refer to me as 'Hey, Babe' after hearing her daddy call for me that way. I remember thinking it was odd that all my Filipino friends' parents called each other mom or dad instead of their name or a term of endearment. I thought it was just one of those Filipino traditions that I didn't know about. But now I understand why. They didn't want their child growing up calling them by their first name. Or referring to them as 'Babe'.

Another thing that has happened, which I was completely prepared for, is the fact that Mike is having a hard time saying no to his baby girl. I woke up from a nap the other day to find that he had given her not one, but two chocolate lollipops. I asked him why would he give her two lollipops in a row like that. His answer? "Because she asked for it and I couldn't say no to her."

I told my mom this story this morning when we were catching up on the phone and she didn't understand what the big deal was. "I would've given her three if she wanted it," Lola said.

Fabulous. I guess that leaves me to be the disciplinarian when it comes Grace. And seeing how difficult I find it to say no to that sweet face, I think we are in for a bit of trouble....