Well, hump day ended with a bang. Or rather, a “mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy.” That is precisely how Riley began every sentence from the moment I picked him and Dylan up at camp yesterday afternoon until the moment I (finally) left their bedroom at bedtime. There were six “mommies” every time he opened his mouth. And then a demand. Look here. Get that. Want milk. All preceded by “mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy.”
There is nothing more precious than hearing your child say “mommy.” This is especially true for Riley since he didn’t even say it until he was nearly two. (Thank you, speech therapy.) That said, “mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy” times a million (that’s the number Dylan would have chosen) was enough to cause a severe overdose. I think even Dylan was feeling woozy from the barrage of the “m” word flying out of his brother’s mouth.
This “mommy” thing has been building for a few days, but last night was the pinnacle. By the time I got the boys out of the bath, I had begun shushing Riley. As soon as he got his first “mommy” out, I shushed him. Shush. “Mommy.” Shush. “Mommy.” Shush. Then he’d say, “No do that, Mommy.” And then he’d start again. “Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy…”
Needless to say, bedtime could not come soon enough, and, unfortunately, morning came too fast. Riley woke up at 5:40am today, and, alas, I didn’t get my quiet cup of coffee and computer time. So far today, his “mommies” have been reduced from six to approximately three, probably from exhaustion, but I imagine it will intensify later in the day.
The honeymoon is over. Yesterday, I had the audacity to suggest that Mike should travel more often. Now, I would like to raise a white flag and take it all back. At 6:40am, about the time when I began to wonder how I would survive the next 36 hours, my friend called to tell me she and her husband woke up this morning to find half of their house under several inches water due to a burst pipe in the kitchen.
She started the story by saying, “Do you want me to make you feel better?” Sadly, she did. This is the true gift of friendship, especially between mamas. I needed a reality check, and she gave it to me. I still can’t wait for Mike to get home, but at least Riley isn’t saying, “Mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy, look at all that water.”
The Runaway Mama by Jen Gregory 