it's official, conrad has said his first word, and, despite my coaching and bribbery, it was Daddy. for a few weeks now he has been nothing but Da and Dah and DaDa and even the occasional Daddy (pronounced Dahdee), but it wasn't till last night that it was obviuos he knew exactly whom he was referring to when he said it; and it was exciting and thrilling and beautiful even though it wasn't Mommy.

there are other sounds and syllables and words, like Mommy. and while he has said the rare Mommy it's pretty (embarrasingly) apparent he has no idea who Mommy is-to him it's the sweet potatoes on his highchair, the rattle, the running water, the itch on his baby balls. and while i'd at least like to be number 2 in his vocabulary, it's looking like Dog might be before me. i give this defeat of importance up to the altar of motherhood, another knot on my mommy belt, right next to fugly hair and sore nipples.