There are some very special moments of mommy-hood that do not always mean a bit of anything to anyone else. Many of those moments are things such as the first sound your baby makes (we all wait for that first scream even before we’ve seen their face), that first smile when it is obviously a smile directed at you and no one else, the first time your baby says mama.
Sometimes it is funny stuff, the stuff many moms enjoy blogging about. For example when the almost two year old decides to do sit-ups with everyone else, not wanting to be left out (as seen in the included set of photos).
There are also those moments of mommy-hood we would all like to forget such as the first time you send your baby boy to get a haircut with his father and he comes back hairless. Mind you not the first haircut, but the first time without you in which you realize at that moment upon seeing your son hairless you will never do again. I am not saying this ever happened to me or to my son, I’m just saying that it is not the kind of moment we would want to remember. Well, except for the part about not ever letting him get his haircut without you again. Now that part a mother might want to remember. You know, if something like that had happened. I’m just sayin’.
And then there are moments of dire stress that while a mom might want to forget, she might just need to hold onto so that she can remember how hard other moments might have been and realize that any other tough days can be seen through with a better perspective. Because if I can live through a house fire, roto-poop, and being bare-boobed to law enforcement all at the same time, I can survive anything. Right? (This is where you are supposed to pat me on the back and say, Right. And please laugh at my expense, because I do every time I think about that day. I didn’t then, but I do now.)
Each child’s milestones are different than the ones before. I remember being so excited when my oldest took her first steps and got her first tooth all after her first birthday. I also remember the day the pediatrician’s office almost threw a party because she had finally hit 24 pounds (it was her 4 year old check up). I remember so many other times that each of my children mastered so many milestones. With a child who has so many special physical, medical, and educational needs her first steps were even more precious to me than my other children’s, but only in a different way. Each child’s first steps were important, but it is amazing how we take for granted (or at least I did) that at some point they would each individually start to walk. But when Princerella was not yet walking by her second birthday that first step she finally took on her own was one that brought me to tears. Even now thinking about it makes me weep. There were days we were not sure if she would ever walk on her own or need the use of a walker or braces all her life.
Today, though, is a joyous one for me! One of my favorite moments of all time with each one of my children is the day they, on their own, tell me they love me. A decision they each make that shows they understand the word and all it’s emotion and what it means to say it and when to say it. It is one of the days I look forward to with each of my children. Really. Today, just because he wanted to, Bairno walked over to me at my sewing machine, took his thumb out of his mouth reached up to hug my neck, and said, “duv you, Mama.” I squeezed his neck so hard and I almost cried. I told him, “I love you too, Bairno.”
He put his head on my shoulder and snuggled for a few minutes then said, “duv you, Mama.” again and got down. He walked over to my desk, got a Reese’s peanut butter cup that was next to my computer, walked back over to me and said, “Nummy.” I said, you need to say please.
You know what that boy did? You know don’t you? Sure you do. He did what any other boy who has stolen his mama’s heart would do. He said, “duv you, Mama” and then flashed me his biggest cheesiest fake grin ever.
But he said, “duv you, Mama.”
He can have anything he wants.
Today.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Buy that boy a truckload of peanut butter cups!!
I grew up with that same piece of furniture! Those side comparments are fun to hide things in, but don’t mar the French polish!
Triple M - he only wanted one. I am beginning to wonder if he really is my son. ;) If I hadn’t birthed him at home I might wonder if he got swapped.
Cap’n - that pic was taken at Grandma’s house a few weeks ago when we were there for Samford’s Homecoming.
Cap’n, that buffet is all that my parents still have of the Duncan Phyfe furniture I grew up with. Did your dining table legs look like this, as ours did?
http://ebayimages.goantiques.com/dbimages/KOG1795/KOG179510203_1000.jpg
I remember crawling under ours as a small person. I also remember the day I got too big to crawl through that space and got stuck, and someone had to lift the table so I could get out.
There was also a sort of drum-shaped, round accent table and a sofa of some sort, I believe.
Around 1978, Duncan Phyfe went bye-bye in favor of Queen Anne.
Just learned from Wikipedia: Duncan Phyfe was born Duncan Fife (like Barney), but he changed the spelling of his name in 1792! So designers were pretentious back then too? :-)
Dining table legs: Yep, a little more urn-shaped ending in lion’s paws. Birmingham Wholesale Furniture (had to buy a membership, like Sam’s or Costco now)? R. B. Broyles??
But, a sheet over the round kitchen table was a “fort.” I remember getting too tall and bumping my head trying to walk under it.
Cap’n´s last blog post . . . Stinker of the Month
Aww, so precious. Mine still steal my heart when they say it unprompted.
mamalang´s last blog post . . . I’m so excited, and I’m having a hard time hiding it.
My heart just swelled two sizes - the first “duv you” marks a magical day to be sure!