Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Repeat After Me

Genevieve had language explosion today. Almost-words were sliding out of her mouth like soy peach yogurt. She most definitely said diaper and cheese, not that I was using both these words in one sentence. If I say a word a few times, she wants to repeat them back. I see her studying my mouth, lips and tongue movements.

When Gen and I were browsing used books in front of the grocery store today, a nosy old man on the street said, “Oh, what a cute baby. It’s a boy, right?”

“No, she’s a girl.”

“Oh, well then you shouldn’t dress her like a boy.”

I just furrowed my brow at him and he shuffled along. I’ll dress my baby any way I want to dress her, and besides, she was not even looking boyish in the least. Just because her frilly romper is blue she’s supposed to be a boy?

I bit the inside of my cheek to refrain myself from expressing my true emotions. It would not be prudent for me to freely express my rants in front of Genny. I do not want her to be like the “Meet the Fockers” baby whose first word was asshole.

Not that I ever would have called the old man a nasty name. I long ago eradicated most expletives from my speech. Except when I get really frustrated then some things just plop out, but I’m trying to change my worst insult into “jack rabbit” or “fudge” as in, “Fudge you, you gosh darn old jack rabbit, she’s a girl!”

7 comments:

  1. I used to hate it when people would tell me how to dress my daughter (now, of course, she's old enough to dress herself, which has its own...challenges). Who the hell cares is a baby looks like a boy or a girl? As long as you know, what difference does it make?

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  2. Hey Sheila,
    I get this all the time too...

    .."Oh, what a sweet little boy!"...

    ...Blah. :)

    As for the choice words: I am desperately trying to clean up my language before baby girl starts talking...but so far, she has said nothing. :(

    Oh well, I guess that's better than repeating everything! :)

    - Ash

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  3. grr people shouldnt assume. We had our daughter in bluejeans when she was 9 months old and someone said she looked like a little "lady killer" when i correceted them they said blue jeans arent for little girls - BAH! BAH i say!

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  4. When my friend's son was an infant, we wanted to go to 14th street and buy one of those over the top frilly party dresses and put him in it. And when people would come up and say...oh what a pretty girl, we were going to be deadpan and say...it's a boy!
    I so wish we had.

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  5. Wouldn't do any good. You can dress a girl from head to toe in pink and you'll still get--"oh,he's so cute--how old is he?"
    Especially if your baby is a baldy like my first daughter was.....

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  7. Why is the yogurt sliding out of her mouth?!?!?! Doesn't she like it?!?!?!

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