Saturday, April 18, 2009

What's in a nickname?

If our daughter goes until age 6 before realizing her name is "Elise," we will be to blame.
After only six weeks, this poor girl has more nicknames and phrases used to describe her actions than we can keep track of. Most come from Anni, who often gives people nicknames.
Here are some that have been used so far:
-- Hen-pecking: When Elise is really hungry but is getting burped or held on Anni's shoulder, she will jerk her head back and forth in a pecking motion, her face hitting Anni's shoulder repeatedly.
-- Zombie Arms: When Elise is getting burped in Anni's lap, she sometimes will hold her arms out in front of her, slowly raising them up and down. It's pretty funny. (See above picture to get an idea.)
-- Frownie Brownie: This is a new one. She gets called this when she is just about to cry. She purses her lips and gives us a big ol' frown.
-- Falcon: Ever heard the screech of a falcon? We have, and it came in the middle of a really hard cry.
-- Jennie-O: I've written about this one before, but it still is used when we give her a bath or rinse her in the sink. Holding a wet, naked baby is not unlike gripping and rinsing a raw bird during Thanksgiving dinner preparation. (They don't tell you that in the "What to Expect..." books.)
-- Power to the People: Occasionally, while in her bouncer or even while being held, out of nowhere Elise will raise an arm and clinch the fist.
-- Lobster Face: After Frownie Brownie and before a hard cry, Elise's face gets as red as, well, a cooked lobster.
-- 'Lil E: When she's rollin' gangsta-style. Every once in a while she'll hold an arm out in front of her, fingers bent as though she's flashin' signs. We hope this practice doesn't continue.
-- Count Dracula: Sometimes Elise's cry sounds like Count von Count's laugh. Pretty funny.
--Italian Sunbathing Beauty: Right after a feeding, Anni will lay Elise across a pillow in her lap. Elise proceeds to assume the comfortable, sprawled-out position of somone enjoying a hassle-free day in the sun.
-- Fists of Fury: She gets feisty if a feeding session ends sooner than she wants. Her reaction is to start swinging clenched fists at Anni's chest. It is not unlike my reaction were someone to yank the ice-cream bowl from me.
There are other, less interesting, nicknames we have affectionately given her, but maybe it's time we start calling her Elise.

No comments: