What's In a Name? I am Going to be a Grandma!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

This blog has nothing to do with dogs, other than the fact that my newly pregnant daughter and I have four between us. For those of you that follow my blogs, you know that my daughter and I have a long-standing disagreement about whose dogs are better.  We argue about a lot of things like who is smarter and she loves to play her PhD card.  The last time she said something, I told her she is book smart, but I am street smart, and she said, “what street? Sesame Street?”  Most of the things my daughter and her husband say are mostly to see what reaction I will give, especially about my dogs, because they both love Fudge and Vern, but that never stops us from trying to one up the other.  I love my grand dogs and would take them in a heartbeat, but I never have a moment’s hesitation about pointing out their faults to give my dogs the lead in this private competition we have going on about our dogs.  Besides, I know I am right about my dogs and my brain.

 

Well, all that aside, and since DK is part of my life and I have shared so many other things on this site, I would like to announce that this dog loving daughter is pregnant, which means I am going to be a grandma. This daughter is fiercely independent and I just know this is going to be a problem for me with the pregnancy and birth of our first grandchild.  It’s already started!  Before she got pregnant, a while back, she told me a name she liked for a girl and I told her I was going to start praying for a boy immediately. I can’t even remember what the name was, and I was sworn to secrecy so nobody else would steal the name, even though I assured her repeatedly I doubted anyone else would want the name.  She told me it was her baby and she could name it whatever she wanted and I should keep my thoughts to myself.  I am paraphrasing, because it wasn’t really all that nice the way she said it, and when I asked her how she would know what I was thinking if I kept everything bottled up inside, she said, “exactly, now you are catching on!”  She always likes to add that sometimes I should just listen and my favorite thing to do when she says that is to say, “what?” 

 

John and her husband, Doc, say we are button pushers.  They say we like to push each other’s buttons and sometimes they just don’t get that we are only conversing and the loud voices are just the way we do things.  For them, it is always a fine line they walk whether or not to get involved and risk a couple of button pushers turning their attention on some new button holes or just to walk out of the room shaking their heads.  We always end up laughing, but we have reached an impasse with the name I want to be called by my first grandchild.  For years, I have said I want to be called Mamacita and recently she officially squashed that idea.  First, she said it made no sense since Doc is Vietnamese and then she had the audacity to say I don’t fit the description and she couldn’t stop laughing. 

mamacita from the urban dictionary

1)"Hot mama", "sexy lady" in the U.S. and Central America and Mexico

Mamacita (from Google)

Mamacita is a diminutive form of 'mamá', the Spanish word for 'mum'. Diminutives are often used to imply affection or fondess, as well as smallness, obviously. The equivalent word in English would be 'mummy', or literally: 'little mummy'.

Since I don’t want her to be stressed during her pregnancy, I conceded defeat on that name and said, “how about Glam or Glamma?”  I became alarmed when it sounded like she doubled over with some kind of spasms as she answered back, “Did you say Ham Hock?”  She knows darn well those two words don’t even sound like Glam or Glamma and who wants their grandkid running around saying, “Ham Hock, I made this macaroni necklace just for you!”

 

Next, Doris (of Doris, Knox, and Flash) got all excited when she came up with the name Lolly for me and Pop for John.  Well, I ran the names by John and he said to tell Doris to lose our number and he wanted to be called something different.  Since he didn’t specify what, I ran a few preliminary names by him, but he said he doubted Megan was going to go for any of them, especially Stupid Name Squasher, and he thought anything with the name Mother in front of it was just going to confuse the kid.  When I told Megan the Lolly Pop idea, she said to imagine myself out somewhere with her kid screaming, “Lolly, Pop,” over and over again.  So, I closed my eyes for a minute and imagined the scene and said, “I like it,” and Megan said she would go along with it if I made one minor change from Lolly to Dum-Dum.   Well, I did love those Dum-Dum suckers, especially the Butterscotch flavor, but if John doesn’t have to be called Sucker, I am not going to be called Dum-Dum. Another name down the drain.

 

I can already see how this is all going to play out. First, my name ideas got shot down and next it will be my motherly advice.  The other day she actually told me I have no say in anything and all decisions would be made between the parents only.  I tried to argue that her kid was going to have my DNA too, and she said, “That’s why it took Doc so long to agree to have a baby.”  They laugh hysterically when they say this stuff and then she always adds, “Tell dad what I just said. That was a good one.”  She’s going to be sorry when she calls for my advice and I tell her, “sorry, Ham Hock Dum-Dum is not available at this time, but maybe Mother Sucker Pop Pop can help.” See how she likes it when I hand the phone to him, she explains the whole situation to him, and she thinks he hung up on her because it takes him so long to respond.  No one wants someone pondering the question on the other end of the line when you want fast answers. Megan and I are “hurry up and answer the question” kind of people and John is more the “let’s think this completely through and stare off into space while doing it,” type, which is never a good match.  In fact, it may be the worst combination of people of all time, because while he is pondering and thoughtfully and carefully relaying his thoughts, we are drumming our fingers, silently fuming, and eventually, when our blood pressure is near stroke level, our emotions boil over and we start screaming things about not having enough time in the day and we are sorry we asked.  In retrospect, it may be part of John’s master plan to avoid conversation, but I figure two passed phone calls to John and she will be yelling in the phone, "SWEET, LITTLE, ATTRACTIVE MAMACITA, I BEG YOU NOT TO PASS THE PHONE TO DAD!"

 

Mostly, I am jesting because I know with enough candy and bribes, I can make that kid call me whatever I want.   So, even though I have a few kinks to work out with the names, we are thrilled we are going to be grandparents.  Thrilled beyond belief!  I can’t wait to meet this new little wonder in August and I really feel that this could be John’s and my moment to shine.  Stay tuned……..

My daughter, Megan, and her baby bump!

[Carol and Banjo]

I couldn't be happier for you and John!    Exciting, loving days lay ahead for all of you!   Big hugs to you Mamacita!      I'm called Grammie (same as my kids called my Mom).....truth be told...I still have a teeny bit of difficulty with it....I just don't feel like I'm old enough to be a Grammie!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Yay!  Congratulations!!  I can tell you that my mom is a lot like you and I am a lot like your daughter - independent, strong willed, etc...  Mom did NOT want to be grandma. At all.  My godmother's grandkids have always called her MaDonna (her name is Donna), so we have gone with that for Charlotte. Charlotte now calls her Donna and calls my dad "Da".  Funny thing: my dad's favorite grandparents were "Didi and Da" Didi was his grandma's real name.  So it's Donna and Da and that just seems right :)  Congratulations I can't wait to see more photos and let me tell you, my mom was not "over the moon" happy about being a grandma at all.  When I told her I was pregnant she freaked out.  To say she is obsessed now is putting it mildly. I've never seen a love like I see when I see my mom with Charlotte. Same with my dad. You'll love it.  You have no idea the fun that is in store!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am beyond thrilled for you and John. One of the greatest moments in my life was the birth of my granddaughter! I wanted to be called Nana, but my then dil said that was the dog in Peter Pan, then she nixed Grammy cuz HER mom claimed that name. She offered Nona - which is what she called HER grandmother who was still living. My mom is Grandma. I was left with NOTHING. A nameless grandmother! Luckily my mom decided she wanted to be G.G. (Great Grandma) so I get to be Grandma. Whew! Dodged that nameless grandmother bullet.
My then dil also informed me immediately that she already chose names so forget suggesting anything from my list - of course my list is for my 'next' dog - but they were GOOD names. I swear.

[Robin and Libby Louise]

Very exciting!!!!!  I too was wondering what was wrong with the more conventional titles, but of course then there would be no extremely enjoyable blog!  Your daughter is adorable but I have no doubt that you will be called by the title of your choice!  Congratulations - this will be a wonderful adventure!!!!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am of course very excited for you and only mildly envious. Is there something wrong with Grandma and grandpa? Will you take more pictures of the baby than the dog? So many questions, good thing you still have months to ponder.