It’s very strange to think that the twins are now 18 months old. It’s strange because in some ways it’s felt like an eternity, lumping increasing physical exhaustion of keeping toddlers entertained on top of months of sleep deprivation, and I’d be hard pressed to remember what life was like before them. Equally it has also flown by, catching me up in a whirlwind of development, giggles, new milestones and blossoming characters. Either way, they’re 18 months, and they’re chatting away, both to J and I, and – interestingly – to each other. What’s bizarre is that they seem to understand what the other is saying as well, which can often be beyond us.
Although from the start we’ve called them Ella and Ollie, neither has quite managed to curl their tongues around their given names. Ella calls Oliver ‘Ol-yio’, whilst he reciprocates with ‘Bubba’ for some reason. What’s strange is that although he can now say Ella (and indeed knows her name is Ella), he will still call her Bubba. It’s not even that he’s calling her ‘Baby’ as he can also clearly pronounce ‘Bay-beee’ (with two very distinct syllables).
I know that kids develop pet names for people (Granny is Geegee), but in this particular instance I really hope it doesn’t stick.
Here’s the thing. Ol-yio has been fortunate enough to benefit from my father-in-law’s genes, and is tall, very slim (he has almost no bottom) and carries very little body fat (and never has done). Ella, on the other hand, sadly has my morphology, and although tall for her age, is chunkier, shorter-legged and – putting it politely – is a bit squidgy like her Dad.
Now I know it can all even out, and physical shape at 18 months is a little early to determine whether someone will be a supermodel or a beach ball, but every time Ol-yio calls her Bubba, I have flash-forward visions of my little darling sitting in voluminous dungarees stretched across an impressive girth, wedged into a rocking chair on the porch of our house, sucking on a sprig of wheat lodged between her few remaining blackened teeth. It’s not a future that I dream for her.
So hopefully the ‘Bubba’ tag will be shortlived. Perhaps we can convince him to replace it with ‘Vision of loveliness’ or something similar…
Tags: nicknames, pet names, Twins, vision of the future
