I Knew I was a Mother when...

1. I go to work and sing "Pop goes the weasle in my head all day..." One of the toys on Lydia's exersaucer sings that song. Or chanting the mantra of "Hotdog Hotdog Hot diggity Dog." I can't even imagine what will get stuck up there when she is a little older. (Eliot does this too!)

2. The other day I had quickly slipped on some flip flops to run errands. I was gone several hours and when I returned I sat down. I saw my feet for the first time. I had been wearing two different flops all day. Sigh. Surely it will not be the last time.

3. Sticky hands...sticky forearms...sticky cheeks. I am the person who eats wings and uses literally 543 napkins. I hate feeling food on my face or hands. Before she was eating solids I could have replaced the word sticky with slimy with droll. Luckily, she has never spit up too much. Somehow, you just get over it. Lydia opens her mouth for a spoonful and then sticks her whole hand in her mouth. I can only assume she wants every drop to go in. She isn't quite an expert at that part yet. A lot of times I have to hold her hand while I feed her. I have tried letting her play with things but things are just finger licking good.

4. Someone hands YOU the crying baby in the room. The first time this happened a sense of panic came over me. I remembered thinking for a second I hope I know what to do. It turns out I did but it wasn't really a cognitive moment; it just happened. I just curled Lydia up in my arms and she fell asleep. Now when that happens it's completely natural and there are times that I just want to say "um give me my baby, please."

5. How quickly every priority is shifted. How the sound of her laugh lights up the entire day. How you think of her first always. How you want to cuddle and play all the time. How the gentleness of your baby's touch fills your whole soul instantly (sometimes I think I could just eat her up!)