Sweeeeetie!

Sweetie. That's the pet name that Jim and I have called each other from the beginning. It could have been honey, babe, sweetheart, but it wasn't. It's sweetie.

Because we're both in the habit of using that word, we often call Sera sweetie, too. We also call her Stinkerbelle, Squirtle, Sera Kitty (she came up with that one, and sweetheart.

Occasionally, I'll actually call Jim by his given name. He rarely calls me by mine. It's sweetie.

The thing is, we don't generally call each other any name when we're in the same room or within easy voice range. That means when we say it, we're usually calling from a different floor or room in the house. That means we're yelling it.

Sera has decided this is the word you call out when you need someone's attention. If she's on the potty and needs some assistance with the paperwork, you'll hear "SWEETIE!" If you're downstairs and she's upstairs, she'll yell down for "SWEETIE!"

You get the idea.