Holdin Holden

Our website business www.BabyTravelPlanet.com was started as a result of Holden Stoddart being born into our family. Here is a little story from Holden's grandpa (JoPa) about Holden and JoPa a week or so after Holden was born.

I could hardly wait to see Holden a second time. I love him so much, and I was also curious to find out how every one reacted to his ability to speak at such an early age.

My next visit was with Holden at his house. I held him tight and kissed him gently and whispered in his ear, “Holden, its your grandpa, and I love you very much.”

Holden’s eyes popped open and he said, “of course you love me—what’s their not to love. But your name isn’t grandpa—we decided—well OK I decided that it is JoPa.”

“OK” I said, “it’s JoPa and I love you very much.”

Holden sighed, ‘that’s better.”

I was dying to ask Holden if he had spoken with anyone else, “so, Holden have you had a little chat with mom and dad yet?’

“JoPa” he replied, “I told you the last time that this talking thing is just between you and me, so ix-ne on the talking-eh thing—have you got it?

I replied back “OK, OK, I get it—its just between us guys—Holden and JoPa. Holden, let me ask you a question. I love your name Holden Brock, what do you think of it?”

“Well JoPa” he said, “I’m glad that you like it because it was my idea.”

“Your idea” I questioned back, “it was your mom and dad’s idea.”

Holden scoffed, “I am letting them think that for now—but here is how it really happened. Before you and I met I used to live in my mom’s belly. It was great. It was beautiful, I swam all day in this warm water and ate all my food through this belly button thing—see down here.”

I nodded as he pointed his little finger at his tiny, little belly button.

“JoPa” Holden continued, “life was great—and the best part was the fact that I didn’t have to do anything—just lie there, swim, eat and go wherever my mom took me. I just loved being held by mom in her belly. So every once in a while just for fun I would give my mom a little kick with my feet—and as I kicked I would say as loud as I could ‘I love you holdin’ me’. Now you have to understand JoPa that I have trouble saying the hard ‘g’ letter. What I was really trying to say was ‘I love you holding’ me’, but what my mom heard was ‘I love you holdin’ me.’

“I kicked her so often when I was living in her belly, and every time I would say the same darn thing, ‘I love you holdin’ me’. I knew that pretty soon I was ‘coming out’ as they say in the maternity ward, and I didn’t want her to forget how much I loved her holding me, so every night when she went to sleep I whispered to her ‘my name is holding, my name is holding. When I came out they changed the spelling and dropped the hard letter ‘g’—I think they had trouble saying the hard ‘g’ just like me—and they called me, actually I called me Holden.

“As far as my middle name there is some confusion. I thought that I was going to named after my Aunt Brooke, and that my middle name would be Brooke. When I first heard my name Holden Brook I really liked it. Then I heard mom and dad tell everyone that my middle name was Brock because that was the university where they met each other.”

“My reaction to that was pleeease!!! If I knew I was going to be named after a University I would have whispered to my mom each night my middle name is Waterloo, my middle name is Waterloo”.

“Overall though the name thing has worked out very well. Everyone likes holdin’ Holden. I even had one of my aunts make a joke that I will never learn to walk because everyone is always holdin’ Holden.

“Fine with me” said holdin Holden as he fell asleep.

Please visit us at www.BabyTravelPlanet.com

JoPa from www.BabyTravelPlanet.com