Cathe, tell your sister...

[TarHeelMom]

...to be thinking about what she wants Eric to call her.

My sister's name is Susan, and when my Alex was about 2 he struggled so hard with "Susan" -- all those S sounds -- that after a while he stopped calling her anything. So she suggested he try using a "D" sound instead of an "S", intending that he say "Dusan" until he could say her name correctly. Well, Alex took her suggestion literally and called her "Dudan" which was quickly shortened to "Dude." So my sister, to her delight, will forever be my boys' beloved Aunt Dude!

Many hugs of encouragement from your Atlanta fans -- you're in the home stretch and everything gets more exciting from here on out!

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Kathy!

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-99 AT 07:11PM (EST)</font></center>

Aunt Dude, how cute! I never really thought about this so thanks for bringing it up. Do you think children have a hard time saying "Aunt Liz"?....(btw, she is going to be a first time aunt and can't wait to actually be called this)

 

[TarHeelMom]

Hi Cathe!

This is really fun stuff, isn't it?? I am so glad for you and your sister -- my boys are 10 and almost 13, and their Auntie still swoops in to visit with great drama and fanfare and is an irreplaceable magic presence in their lives. My sister's huge love for my children has created still another kind of bond between us as sisters. I'm so grateful and pleased and happy to have her as a part of the boys' childhoods. I know you and Liz will feel all these wonderful things, too.

I think "Aunt Liz" will be pretty manageable for little mouths to say -- the only thing that a toddler might have to work on is that Z sound, which is similar to S in the way the tongue works to make the sound. So who knows what adorable ending Eric might come up with for his beloved Aunt Liz'name? She might become Aunt Lick! Or Aunt Lit, or Aunt Lid!

And ya oughta tell Liz that whatever perfect little ending sound Eric chooses will stick, too, at least for your other children. (Let's see, would that be 4 or 5 others?...) My Alex happens to be the oldest grandchild in our family and all the nieces and nephews call my sister Aunt Dude, including my brother-in-law's and sister-in-law's children who aren't even really blood relatives to her!

So hugs to Aunt Liz, too! Take care and do let us see a new picture with your cute new haircut and big ol' round tummy!