Naughty or Nice?

About a week ago, I had a friend send me a Top Ten list of worst-behaved girls’ names. Our daughter’s first name, Caitlyn, (the list spelled it Caitlin) and middle name, Olivia, happened to make the list. Talk about a double whammy. 

At first, I brushed the list off as rubbish. Sure, our kid annoys the heck out of me by nagging at me and being a tattle-tale, but if that’s the worst she does, it doesn't seem half that bad. I've seen other kids whose names aren't even on the list throw tantrums, hit, bite, and be way worse than ours. Perhaps this list didn't know what it was talking about.

Then I read an online news headline about a 21-year-old girl who was suing her family for college tuition. Who in their right mind sues their family, especially after they've raised her and given her everything a child could need and more? I’m thinking this has to be one pretty rotten, ungrateful kid. I click the link to read more about this story and lo and behold, guess what the girl’s name is? I’ll give you a hint. It starts with a ‘C.’

Of all the names this girl could have had, did it seriously have to be Caitlyn?! Now I’m beginning to wonder if that list of worse-behaved girls’ names has some merit to it. Do I need to become wary of my own daughter in fear that she might try to back stab me one day? I mean, she already possesses the kind of headstrong, stubborn, obstinate personality the other Caitlyn seems to have. Heck, we even take our Caitlyn to Gymboree just like the family in the article took their Caitlyn! 

Reading through the mother's blog about the experience, it seems they did everything right as parents. They were involved in their daughter's life. They loved and cared for her. Unfortunately, it seems the only thing they did wrong was pick a name on the Top Ten list of worst-behaved names.

However, on a less depressing note, at least Hannah, the name I want to give our second daughter, made it to the Top Ten list of best-behaved names. This just might be what I need to sway the wife's opinion in my favor! And anyway, I suppose there always has to be at least one black sheep in the family. 

  

  

  

  

  

  

"Mommy! Daddy..."

At our house, there is someone who is getting quite good at nagging. No, I’m not referring to the wife. She’s already in a league of her own. I’m talking about Caitlyn. I’ve even recently started calling her Lil’ Momma, much to her delight. I cannot do anything without being called out for some sort of infraction. Examples:

“You’re not supposed to eat food that dropped on the table. Mommy! Daddy ate food that dropped on the table!”

“You’re not supposed to take such big bites of food. Mommy! Daddy’s eating his food with big bites!”

"You’re not supposed to burp. Mommy! Daddy burped!”

“You didn’t wash your hands after coming home. Mommy! Daddy didn’t wash his hands!”

“You’re not supposed to use this bathroom to pee. Your bathroom is the one in the front. Mommy! Daddy’s using the wrong bathroom!” (Don't ask)

“You left your clothes on the floor. Mommy! Daddy didn't pick up his clothes!”

“You’re not supposed to have the water on when you brush your teeth. Mommy! Daddy’s wasting water!”

"Ow! You brushed my hair too hard! Mommy! Daddy brushed my hair too hard and it hurts!"

“You’re not supposed to be eating chips. Mommy! Daddy’s eating chips!”

“You’re not supposed to throw things on the table. Mommy! Daddy threw something on the table!”

I could seriously go on and on and on. In fact, I could probably create a second blog called, “Mommy! Daddy….” with all the scolding I get on a daily basis. I’m almost positive that the wife inwardly smiles every time Caitlyn reprimands me. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like once our second daughter comes out and the triumvirate is complete.

However, all hope is not lost. Even with her infinite bag of no-no's, there are two things, two important things that Caitlyn approves of. First, I have her nod of approval to walk around naked in the house. And second, I am allowed to fart as loudly as I want. Not surprisingly, Caitlyn also likes to run around naked and fart. Maybe there is a bit of me in her after all, though it would be much to the wife's dismay.

Don't Forget to Take Your Folic Acid Pt. 2

If any of my longtime loyal readers remember, I once had a post about the importance of taking folic acid. This shall serve as a continuation of that post with the hope of educating anyone who might be thinking of having a baby.

One of the first things I did after I found out the wife was pregnant for a second time was to go to the vitamin shop and purchase a bottle of prenatal vitamins and folic acid for her. I still clearly remember our scare with spina bifida when the wife was pregnant with Caitlyn, and I certainly do not want a repeat of that. Ideally, a woman should begin taking folic acid when she’s thinking about becoming pregnant, so we were already behind the curve. Therefore, not another moment could be wasted.

At first, the wife was very good about taking her vitamins. I’d leave them out on the table for her in the morning and would also text her after I got to work as a reminder. However, after one of her visits to the obstetrician, she came back stating that the doctor said the vitamins provided no real benefits and that there was no need to take them. The wife immediately welcomed this as she has never really liked taking anything that’s not natural. She began taking the vitamins intermittently and if I would remind her about it, she’d get defensive and cite the obstetrician’s words to give herself credence.

This went on for a bit until I got fed up with it and asked her to give me evidence and research that showed taking folic acid wasn’t useful. Unsurprisingly, she couldn’t. Therefore, I took it upon myself to compile a bunch of facts to show her that taking her prenatal vitamins was important. All the following was taken from respected medical and health organizations.

1. Taking a prenatal vitamin with the recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid before and during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects of your baby's brain and spinal cord. Take it every day and go ahead and have a bowl of fortified cereal, too.

2. Birth defects occur within the first 3-4 weeks of pregnancy. So it's important to have folic acid in your system during those early stages when your baby's brain and spinal cord are developing.

3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you start taking folic acid every day for at least a month before you become pregnant, and every day while you are pregnant.

4. It may help reduce their baby’s risk for birth defects of the brain and spine called neural tube defects (NTDs).

5. All women, even if they’re not trying to get pregnant, should take folic acid.

6. It's hard to get all the folic acid you need from food. Even with careful planning, you might not get all the vitamins you need from your diet alone. So even if you eat foods that have folic acid in them, take your multivitamin each day, too.

7. The CDC reports that women who take the recommended daily dose of folic acid starting at least one month before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy reduce their baby's risk of neural tube defects by 50 to 70 percent.

Thankfully, after sending the wife my list and having her read over it, she agreed to start taking her vitamins regularly again. Our unborn child is going to owe me big time for this one.

Speaking of unborn child, we now know that it’s going to be a girl!!! And with that, I officially submit the name Hannah for your consideration.
 

 

Oops, We Did It Again

After waiting for the green light from the wife and because I’ve just been too busy/lazy to write a post, I can finally announce that we do indeed have a bun baking in the oven! Back in August when I first found out, the wife was actually trying to hide this fact from me. I guess she hadn’t had time to process it all in yet. The only reason I found out was because we have a little blabber mouth, Caitlyn, whom the wife had imparted and entrusted the secret to. Well, now I know who not to tell my deepest darkest secrets to.

While we were both naturally happy, there was also a sense of disappointment because we both very excited about a trip we were planning to Germany and Europe during Chinese New Year. This, obviously, has been officially scrapped, much to our dismay. After months of rather lackadaisical attempts and being unsuccessful, couldn’t my sperm cells have just waited a few more months to make contact with the wife’s egg?

But on the flipside, we’re having a baby! Yippee. Forgive me if my excitement seems a bit forced, but all I can think of right now are the sleepless nights, stacks of bottles that need to be washed, dirty diapers that need to be changed, and all the baby gear that we’ll have to lug around again. I’m sure all that will change once I see our little bundle of joy for the first time, but still. Bottles upon bottles that need to be washed....

One other thing that flashed through my mind was being on the receiving end of the wife’s frequent mood swings (most of which I was responsible for) when she was pregnant the first time around. However, I’m very pleased to announce that I have yet to really tick her off and be confined to sleep on the couch thus far. While I’d like to say that I’ve changed for the better, the wife is probably more correct in saying that she’s become better at tolerating me. Either way, it’s still early in the game. Will I make it through all 9 months of being on my best behavior or will I crack under the pressure? Only time will tell.

As of this moment, the sex of the baby is still a mystery. Ask me the first time, and I'll tell you that I'll be happy with a boy or a girl as long as it’s healthy. But prod me a bit further, and I’ll admit I want another girl. Even the wife admits she would rather have a girl.

What’s not to like about girls? Bottom line is they’re just plain cuter than boys and 100 times better-behaved.They can do everything a boy can do, only better. I freely admit, girls rule, boys drool. But if you ask Caitlyn what sex she’d like the baby to be, she’ll say a boy. It seems that she's figured out little brothers are easier to control and boss around than little sisters. I just need to think back to how my older sister used to order me around to realize that this is totally true. 

"Who run this world? Girls." You tell em, Beyonce.