One of the parenting dilemmas that is nearly unique to gays and lesbians is the question of what the child should be taught to call the parents. Although straight grandparents are well familiar with this process, straight parents don't generally consider it to be a matter worthy of much debate. For the lesbian or gay couple, however, it can be just as difficult, if not more difficult, as choosing the child's name!
Mombi and I spent many conversations debating the pros and cons of various combinations. While lamenting the difficulty of choosing, one of us suggested that we should just be Mom A and Mom B. Nice and simple. Like a stray with a nickname, within 24 hours we were stuck with it.
We've changed the pronunciations a bit so that it isn't quite so harsh, so now Mom A is Momai pronounced mum-AY, and Mom B is Mombi pronounced MOM-bee. Not too bad. And of course, the child could decide to call us something totally different. The dog and cat seem to like it, though, so for now it works just fine.
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