Nick names...

No one tagged me on this, yet I wanted to do this for my own sake...

I don't think I can remember all of the names bestowed upon him so far, for the list may hit a hundred. Some very embarassing, some sillybilly meaningless ones, some names apparently with some reasoning...

Duddu came to this world on a Tuesday night. He was shown to me only after my Mom & DH had a look at him and his second Apgar test was over. And that is good 10 minutes after he was born. All the while I was shouting ‘Show my baby”, “It is still paining”(apparently I thought the pain reduces immediately after the baby comes out) when the doc was sewing up my episiotomy tear. The first thing that flashed my mind then was he was a clone of DH and I couldn't find anything resembling me or my side of the family. He was taken to the nursery that night after the customary ribbon-cutting ceremony of the milk shop.

The next morning, his royal highness was brought into our room, and that is when I looked at him fully. When he was given to me the previous night, he was already swaddled and all that I could see was his face, not even his hair. He was so fair, lotss of black hair, small eyes twinkling from within the pinkish white chubby face and he just plundered my heart. He was not like the wrinkly tiny new born babies who hardly open their eyes. He already looked like he was 3 months old, his bright eyes wide open and alert and looking around scanning the room. (Did I tell you he was 9 pounds?) The first thing that crossed my mind was a bunch of roses. I instantly called him "Rose" and "Rosu kutti". And then came “Thaamarai poo” (lotus), “Shenbaga poo”(do not know the English equivalent, it is a very fragrant flower, one of my most favorite ones), “Malli poo”(jasmine), etc. and finally I settled for “Poo kudai”(basket of flowers) and “Poo kutti”.

Mom was calling him all the customary names already : Raja, Rajaathi, Chellam(pampered one), Thangam (gold) and the names of all precious stones : Vairam, Vaidooriyam, Komethagam, Manikkam. Some more names that are customary in our household are Alagesa(lord of beauty), Arivesa(lord of knowledge), Muththazhagu(pearly beauty) and Azhagi(beauty). As is common from the place I come from, he got named after Peacock, Kuckoo with all sorts of adjectives prefixed. Here goes that list: Mayilu (peacock), Vanna mayilu(colorful p-cock), Thanga mayilu (golden pcock), Azhagu mayilu(beautiful pcock), Kandha mayilu(Kandha’s (Lord Muruga) pcock), Kuyilu kutti. To denote the sweetness he brought into our lives, he was called Vella katti (jaggery block), Chakkara katti (sugar block).

There is a lullaby song where the baby is addressed as “jo-jo pappa”. As I started singing it to him, he got named “jo-jo”. This was my frequently used name for the most part of his first month. When he lies on the mat everyday diaper-free to be massaged with oil, (or for that matter whenever he is diaper free), he is called “Kunjumani” and “Sunjumani” for showing off his assets.

When he started flashing those smiles around 5-6 weeks, “Kalla” was added to the list. And before I forget, let me add this. He was named after lot of Lord Krishna’s and Lord Muruga’s names. Kutti kanna, Kutti Muruga, Mayakkanna and Kallazhaga being the most famous ones.

DH was calling him “kutti paiya” (small boy) from day 1. And till today, all the names that DH has given him are derived out of this. Even the lullaby he sings for him. For some reasoning behind “Duddu”, it evolved from “kutti paiya”, Kutti became “Duddi” and from there it was a free run. The most recent nick name DH has given is “Budees” and “Budeesa”.
Duddu and all of its’ variations: Duddi, Duddees, Duddaai, Duddipees, Duddubudai, dussi baby, dutchy baby, Budu (Du evolved into Bu), Budaai. At one point of time, I called him “Da daa de dee du duu dae daee dai do doe dow” (If you know Tamil, you know what this is)

For the warrior poses he strikes when he demands something, he was named Veerapandi Aarumugam (a minister in TN cabinet, he is not a fighter of any sort, just that his name suggests bravery), Mathurai veeran (A ferocious folk God who protects) and Bailwaan. Peas, kutti peas, peasu kutti, peech peech, duddi peech, Peapod. Gunda, kutti Gunda, Gundi, Gundu peechi, Olli peechi(variation of Olli Kuchi). For those who are confused by now, whether he is fat or thin, he is neither fat nor thin, though sometimes he looks thin.

If you have read until this, I appreciate your patience.

Now, coming to his lullabies, I sometimes sing lullaby songs from movies (Malarndhum malaraadha, Thenpaandi seemayile, Laali laali), most of the times it is some gibberish and / or all of the nick names listed above embedded between “Aaa ree raa roo”, “Joo jo joo jo”, “Ooo bow bow bow”. Mom sings some songs from folk-lore and the popular lullaby songs. A sample from my repertoire:

Oo Jo Joe Joe
Oo Jo Joe Jo Joe Jo Joe Jo
Kutti pappa aa ree roe
Thanga mayile aa ree roe
Vella katti Oo Roe Roe
Oh bow bow bow bow bow bow


MIL never gave him any nick names. Towards the end of her stay, she started calling him “Duddu”, the name that his father gave him. She did not know any songs when she first came here and she put to use the “Thalattu Songs” CD that we had got from India. Those were classical songs and somehow I never liked them so much. She used to play them on the CD player, and gradually learnt them by-heart and started singing them to him. She doesn’t like music(!!!!!!!!!!!!) and so she doesn’t show interest in songs is what she says. Good that she took interest in learning the lullaby songs for the sake of her grandson. He wouldn’t sleep otherwise.

Lullaby song from DH’s repertoire:

Budu Budu kutti Budu
Bam Bam Budu Budu
Kutti Budu Duddu Budu
Boink Boink Budu Budu
Bam Bam Bam Bam
Budu Budu Bam Bam

I think I have embarrassed our family enough. Just goes to show much crazy the whole family is about Duddu. I am sure he will get much more nick names during our trip to India and also as he grows.

And if you have come thus far, WOOWWWWWW!

PS: Amidst all this chaos, he was given a name that was to be used only when others enquired about his name. And of course it is also used in his birth certificate and the passport. And that is “Nikhil”.