Help! I can’t call my daughter by her first name

So, I seem to have lost the ability to call my daughter by her first name. It's not a new problem though, in fact, it probably started about seven years ago.

 

There is no reason for it; I absolutely love and adore her name - I personally spent nearly two weeks deciding on it, honestly! 

 

But her beautiful name just never seems to come out of my mouth – well, unless she is in trouble that is.  

 

My other half is baffled by my inability to call our daughter by her first name, and I admit I am too, but surely what I call her is simply a sign of my affection, so no harm?

 

But it’s never been princess or chicken or love. Oh no. They are not good enough for my little girl, no way. Varying from baby moo to little boo, moon bear to baby bear and everything in between, mine require a little bit of thought, a little bit of thinking-outside-the-box and a little bit of rhyming.  

 

Sometimes it bothers her; sometimes it doesn’t. It usually depends on my choice or whose within ear shot.

 

Although in saying that, there is one that she really detests. A name that riles her up to the point of a stroppy teenager, but one of my favourites: ‘baby’

 

While she insists she is no longer a baby - and at age seven I have to agree with her - I just can’t stop calling her ‘baby’. No doubt I’ll still be using it when she graduates from college...

 

I know pet names are just fun and a sign of affection, but when I scream 'baby bear' in the supermarket I totally deserve the odd looks that I get. 

I can’t be the only one who does this, surely?