Daddy In Third Person

Isabel will be one year old next month and it is hard for me to realize that eleven months have come and gone already. It sure is a great experience - parenthood. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love being a dad - and a husband, too - because the reward for putting in the work is so extreme in the greatest way possible.

Along the way I've noticed my life change before my eyes: going to bed earlier (*much* earlier); not going out and actually doing things on a frequent basis; changing diapers; crawling around on the floor like a kid; the list could go on and on. One alteration that has become prominent in my mind is referring to myself in the third person as "daddy". For example, I find myself saying (as if I'm talking to Isabel and she can comprehend the words) phrases such as, "Daddy has to go back to work" or "Daddy is getting your food ready." Who knows how long I've actually been doing this? It could only be a month or so or literally Isabel's entire life. I'm leaning toward the latter.

My saving grace on the matter has to be Shayla. She does the exact same thing only she tends to refer to herself as "mommy" instead of "daddy". Come to think of it; we even refer to each other as "mommy" and "daddy". Having a child is like editing your identity. I think ahead to the days when I'll be thought of as "Isabel's dad" instead of Kitch - although I'm sure that may very well be the case now.

Any other parents experiencing the same "third person" tendencies?