The Power of Mama

There is no greater sound in the world than your baby’s laughter and coo’s, except the word mama. When you hear mama for the first time, your heart soars.
As your baby gets the grasp of the word and begins to know how to use it your heart settles into a comfortable joyous pitter patter as your relationship with your child changes. It breaks from pure instinct and trust and becomes a give and take of need and love.
Then one day your child foregoes just crying when he is upset and starts calling out mamamamamama through tears. You rush in with soothing voice and he reaches up to you. You take him in your arms, he tucks his head under you chin and sighs with a contented “mama” and your heart melts.
You know your world will never be the same because nothing can ever trump that feeling right there. In that moment you are protector, you are wanted, you are loved, you are the world. Everything you ever wanted falls away in the magic of being a mom.
The feeling never diminishes but grows as that relationship does. You puff up with pride when your 5 month old shows off his verbal advancement in front of others. That’s right, bitches, I’m the momma.
You feel elated when he prefers to be comforted by you over everyone, calling mama. When you walk in a room and he lights up with arms outstretched and that happy squeal of mamamamamama issues forth, you pick him up and he grabs your face to plant big slobbery open mouth kisses all over you. It only gets better from there as he grows and develops. You are still the person he is excited to see, but now he can crawl over and climb your legs, pulling up with fistfuls of your pants to smile big toothy grins at you. Bouncing in your arms with a little growling pant of “mama” and squeezing hugs.
These are the moments you live for as a mom. This is what you wanted for so long, and it is everything you imagined it to be and more. You have a whole new appreciation for how your mother feels about you and you want to hug her every time you see her now. For there will never be enough hugs, enough mamas, enough slobbery kisses, head tucked under the chin hugs, and squeals of delight. And oh how those simple things mean so much.