Tuesday, April 04, 2006

The Race is on!

Just yesterday Sofi began to make very clear word sounds with some sort of intention. Alot of “Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba,” and “Ma ma ma ma ma ma ma ma.” It's completely adorable and brings tears to our eyes every time. But while Sofi is fighting the war against her tongue to make words we can understand, there is another war being waged in the background.

The first word war. (WWI for you vets)

That's right. The battle has begun. Like boxing coaches, or acting coaches, Dana and I each have Sofi in our respective corners, both teaching her to say a word, but it's not the same word. Oh no. We are each teaching her a word so powerful that when said, will make a grown man or woman jump out of bed from the most solid of sleeps to do anything and everything the speaker of these magical words utters. The words are Ima (mommy) and Daddy (Aba). Easy to learn. Impossible to ignore.

These two words are magical keys that unlock doors we didn't even know existed. Until now, communication with Sofi has been, for the most part, a one way street with the occasional acknowlegement on her part in the form of a smile, a laugh or an uncontrolled screech. But once she is armed with one or both of these words the rules of the game will change forever.

For the past six months, Dana has been doing most of the hard work during the long night while I dream and drool obliviously next to her, like sleeping on the edge of a volcano that is erupting, unaware of the chaos she has been enduring in the name of motherhood. Granted, I am often on the 10pm to midnight shift, which is usually uneventful, and on the other end of the night for the 5:15am to 7am session until Dana wakes up from her beauty sleep of 3 or 4 non-consecutive hours––if she's lucky. So, the moment Sofi masters the word 'Daddy' I will be forever on call all through the night ready to come to the rescue of my little squishy, like a superhero who hears the faint cry of someone in peril miles away.

But until then, I'll be sleeping like a baby, drool and all.

Oh, and if by some chance she learns to say 'Ima' first, I don't even want to know the consequences of that. I might have to legally change my name to 'Ima' so that Dana can get a solid nights sleep.

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