Who's the Favorite?

As the father of two daughters, I constantly find myself trying to avoid favoring one over the other, but it's so dang hard not to have a favorite, when the babies themselves show such obvious favoritism. Leah is a mommy's girl all the way, and has been since birth (I think that for Leah, the whole mommy-equals-food association was pretty much the game-clincher). But right now, Riley only has eyes for daddy.

Somehow, whatever I do right now, Riley seems to think it's pretty freaking hilarious. I say the word "Ba!" -- Riley giggles. I say the word "Mmmm-Ba!" - Riley laughs heartily. I say the word "Mmmm-Ba!" while simultaneously scrunching my eyes up and shaking my head from side to side -- Riley laughs uncontrollably, gasping for breath. What a great audience! Thanks, Riley, and don't forget to tip your wait-staff on the way out.

Riley is also a humungoid Peek-a-Boo fan. I should track down the person who invented Peek-a-Boo and send him or her a fruitcake or a bottle of wine or something, because that game truly has some sort of voodoo power over Riley. Even if she was just crying her eyes out three minutes ago, I can start playing Peek-a-Boo with her and she'll suddenly get all glowy-eyed and giggly. She actually vibrates (literally vibrates!) with anticipation when she senses a Peek-a-Boo game coming on. It's like Riley's version of crack. And since Kathy doesn't have the patience to play Peek-a-Boo for the twenty minutes straight that it takes to satisfy Riley, that means that I am the official designated Peek-a-Booer, and that in itself is enough to make Riley the head of the daddy fan-club.

Leah, I can tell, doesn't quite see what all the fuss is about. She likes daddy and Peek-a-Boo well enough and all, but the thing that makes her eyes glowy is when mommy walks into the room. So unfair. I've got to play Peek-a-Boo and make faces and hop around the room like an idiot all day for Riley's affection, but Kathy gets Leah's undying adulation by just walking into the room. Oh, I guess she did do that nine months of carrying them around thing. And that whole labor thing. And that breastfeeding thing. And...

Okay, Kathy wins. I can't compete with that.