I've been thinking on Howard a bit, and do feel I'd be remiss not to add this:

It is possible to want something very much in theory, but when actually faced with it, it can become scary. And as a parent myself, the little baby stage can be exhausting and hard as hell. Maybe as they get older and life feels more normal and less like survival, the writers will have Howard rediscover his excitement about being a dad. Case in point: I always wanted to be a mom, but I spent a lot of time when my kids were babies feeling very anxious. They were kind of like little wild animals at that stage. But ever since they were about three years old, being a mom has been my greatest joy. Perhaps we should just give Howie some time.

Do we now we have three babies on the show, including Howie ? Remember these classic Bernie lines: "He's like a little bird!", and "My Howie-Wowie has an owie!" and "Oh, boo-hoo! You're not going to space!"

@Knixon said:

So now they fight over which baby each of them raises?

Since Raj is such a super proud GF, can't see him giving up that honor. So, Stuart would get Lil Mr. W. by default.

My parents didn't pick a different godparent for each of us. You don't think Raj will be made godparent to both kids? That seems very likely to me, almost guaranteed. And why wouldn't they? Does it make sense to have a godparent for only one of two children, or that it wouldn't be the same one for both/all?

In the strictest sense of the term, "Godparents" are a Christian practice. Jewish people started using the term, sometimes, but it's not treated the same as it is in a Christian household. In either case, thought it's not a 'commandment' or 'law', in the Jewish community, it's usually the Grandfather who takes that title, if living. In this case, since Howard's Dad is MIA, it would fall to Bernie's father. In any event, Raj, being neither Christina or Jewish, isn't really a candidate for being a "Godfather".

And Raj really shouldn't be a candidate for 'Godparent" ESPECIALLY if they are raising the kid in the Catholic faith. You'll have a really tough time finding a practicing Catholic Parish that's going to let a Hindu be a Godparent. The entire point of the Christian Godparent is the SPIRITUAL upbringing of the child in the Catholic Faith in the event both parents are gone. That kind of eliminates Raj, since he's Hindu.

That's not to say that Raj can't be a LEGAL GUARDIAN. But that's a completely different title, and is often confused with "Godparents". Now, before we get too much further, I'm sure someone will give me the inevitable exception to this definition. But by far and away and in most cases, Godparents and Guardians are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. Often times they are combined, however, that's USUALLY when the designated people are of the same faith. Again, Godparents and Legal Guardians are NOT the same thing, though often confused.

Here's hoping that the writers for these ostensibly intelligent characters don't make such a fundamental error and confuse the two.

Though you might find some real humor in watching Howard and Bernie struggle with the issue, especially given Howard's relationship with his Father In Law.

If I've missed it, and they've already made Raj a "godfather", then it's a term they are just tossing around without meaning. But hey, since they all appear to be a bunch of atheists anyway, they can use the term however they choose. But it doesn't make it accurate.

I don't recall them ever having any kind of ceremony such as a baptism or the like where a godparent might be "officially" selected. But near the end of the episode where the (first) child was born, Howard told Raj he was/would be the godparent. (That episode would be The Birthday Synchronicity.)

@Knixon said:

My parents didn't pick a different godparent for each of us. *You don't think Raj will be made godparent to both kids? * That seems very likely to me, almost guaranteed. And why wouldn't they? Does it make sense to have a godparent for only one of two children, or that it wouldn't be the same one for both/all?

No, I do not.

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

When Howard and Bernie were engaged and he found out about Bernie’s reluctance to have kids, he said it was a deal breaker. At the time, he told the guys that he couldn’t imagine a life where he didn’t have kids. They worked through their child-having-issue; and after they were married, Howard told Mr. R. that he was anxious to have kids. He said that in spite of what Bernie told her father, it was she—not he—who was the holdup.

Fast forward a kid and a half later, and he is STILL freaking out all over the place about fatherhood. What happened to all that dying-to be-a-dad-can’t-live-without-kids bravado?

I can see him—maybe—being a little unsure of himself “parent-wise” with the first one; but isn’t he a tad too twitchy for a second-time-arounder?

What gives?

---

My great grandparents had 13. If my great grandfather "suffered" as much as Howard, then I haven't been visiting his grave nearly enough.

The prospect of fatherhood is different than the reality. He was excited until he actually had a daughter and realized the level of responsibility; as a father he has to be caregiver, teacher , disciplinarian, educator, I think it's harder than he thought.

We hardly see much of baby Halley and now with a new one how will the show differentiate between the two. They are both babies who both do the same things generally.
Are the writers going to flip a coin to see which one gets to be in an episode ? Might we see them in a double stroller ? This is going to be tricky. Will Howard or Bernie or Raj or Stewart gravitate towards one or the other ? Might this even inspire maternal instincts in Amy ?

Leslie: Tell me Leonard, how would we raise the children?
Leonard: I guess we let them wait until they're old enough and let them choose their own theory.
Leslie: We can't let them choose, Leonard, they're children!

@znexyish said:

We hardly see much of baby Halley and now with a new one how will the show differentiate between the two. They are both babies who both do the same things generally.
Are the writers going to flip a coin to see which one gets to be in an episode ? Might we see them in a double stroller ? This is going to be tricky. Will Howard or Bernie or Raj or Stewart gravitate towards one or the other ? Might this even inspire maternal instincts in Amy ?

Now, that’s funny—just the thought of the writers flipping a coin to decide which kid gets to play the “unseen” child in a given episode.