What kind of Mom is "THAT Mom"?
Let
me start off my explaining that I have watched (for years) my friends,
co workers, family members, and random strangers with their
children...Micro-manage vs free-for-all, germ-crazed vs "ah, it's just
dirt", overly structured vs no structure, etc... and I have always said
"I will never be THAT kind of Mom." HA HA...I sooooo Lied!
I
have noticed soooo many changes in myself and even Mike since Maddison
has came home, and it all makes me giggle! For example, Valentine's
weekend Maddison went and spent the night with her Bio-Grandma and
Grandpa. Mike and I went to a late lunch and ran some stores. I probably
mentioned her about 20 times between 3 stores, and we both admitted half
way through lunch that it felt weird to be at lunch as just the two of
us. And how weird is it that 3 months ago we wouldn't have said that??? It would have just been another lunch with just the two of us... but no, Miss Maddison was all we were focused on. As we left town
to head home, (in the opposite direction as Maddison) I started to feel
myself becoming very nervous. I even had to have Mike talk me down a
little bit. I laugh now, but I was actually really sad that she wasn't
coming home with us. We went home and just did things around the house
that needed our attention and went out for the night for our
Valentine's date night... but I just had this unwavering feeling pulling at my heart. I try to blame this crazed feeling on the fact that I have missed out on the first 3 years of her life, which makes me not want to miss another MINUTE of time with her. Even though I knew she is completely fine without me every second, and
probably having a BLAST... I always find myself worried.
And that's when I realized that I
am "THAT Mom".
So, I feel it best to get it all out of my system now and confess all of my "THAT Mom" traits:
1. I
want to know everything she eats everyday. I limit snacks between meals
and all sugary treats to just good behavior type of cases. I don't obsess about it, but I find myself naturally tracking it, this to me is so weird and such a foreign habit before Maddi.
2. When
I drop her off a "school"/daycare, I feel sad still. Sometimes I watch
her play from outside the door and have to talk myself into leaving... ;(
3. I
love dressing Maddi in the cutest outfits and shoes everyday. I love
styling her hair differently everyday and always has a "pretty"
(clip/bow). The girls at daycare have even commented on how cute her
hair always is. :>
4. I
love teaching Maddi new songs and love that she knows so many songs for
a 3 year old!? I secretly think she is a little musical genius...LOL... she will sing a tune of one song, with the words to
another song, to the beat of another song. And if she gets hung up, I
hear her stop and nod a bit to try to find words to fit into her silly
song. Not too many kids I know do this at 3 years old??? Now, if we
could just get her to stop trying to swallow the microphone when she
sings... LOL
5. I am a manners stickler and I catch her coaching others about using their manners, just like I do her. LOL
I even have a video of her correcting Mike and I on our manners... I'll have to post it soon, once I am all caught up!?
6. I
hate to go to work now. LOL I never want to go, as the thought that I am going to
miss something....anything to do with her... KILLS ME!? I am extremely
jealous of Mike's evenings with her. LOL
7. I
hate that she is asleep when I come home from work. I have sneaked in
to give her smooches often and I secretly love seeing how cozy she is in
her little Tinkerbell bed with her dreamy night time music playing. (typing this makes me want to go sneek in and give her juuuuuuuust one more kiss!)
8. I forget that we are going through the adoption process. I have called the doctor's office and made them look all over for her info because I referred to her as Maddison Haley, however legally that is not her name YET. (ooopppssss) I seriously forget she's not biologically mine!? Organically we are all just so in love and at peace with our new family, that I think each one of us just kinda gets taken back for a second when the subject comes up.When this happens, it makes my heart smile because it just
reminds me how connected we are after just 3 short months. (I think this is also why I kinda get a tinge of haste when someone refers to her as adopted... she doesn't FEEL adopted? LOL)
9. Speaking of 3 short months... can you believe Maddi has only been in our lives for 3 months!? I feel like this girl has been the center of my life for years. It is amazing how once you have found what truely makes you happy and complete... you can't remember life without it! Mike makes me feel this way about dating, being engaged and planning a wedding. I hardly remember all that because I just look so forward to the future with him and Maddi that I barely remember before them. *I'll take this moment to give my hubby kudos, he is SUCH a good daddy! I hear all the great things he does with Maddi when I'm at work, how he enjoys his talks with her and patiently explains things to her when she doesn't understand. I have always been proud to call him my husband, but I am just to in LOVE with him as a daddy. :>
10.) Finally, I am "THAT Mom", because I know and PROMISE that I will always fight for whats best for Maddi. I am not a confrontational person, not too into dramatics, however I have to confess that I don't care how crazy I look, sound, act, etc... when it comes to Maddi's best interest.
Call it the "overprotective Mama bear" in me... but I just say, "look out... because I am 'THAT Mom'... and I'm dang proud of it!"
