Today I felt bad for Drew and for all daddies everywhere.
Daniella & Drew needed me to watch Tamzen for them for the day and after all day here at the house, when Drew came to pick up Tamzen after work, she started crying, "Mommy, mommy!" and reaching out for me. I am not Tamzen's mommy; I am only Audry's mommy. However I have noticed that anyone who vaguely resembles a mommy, Audry calls mommy. So maybe Tamzen would have said something like The mommy, instead.
Audry would have done the same in Tamzen's shoes, I think. She is very fond of Tamzen's mommy.
But anyway, it really has to suck as a daddy, when your own child prefers someone else's mommy to you.
I know that Willy struggles with this. Before Audry was born he heard all about the magic of fatherhood, tales of tiny babies falling asleep in their father's arms, gazing into their father's eyes, smiling their first smiles at daddy. This was not our experience. Finally, after 18 months, Audry is finally interested in hanging out with daddy sometimes even when mommy is home, which is a big relief for mommy, especially because right when daddy gets home is usually when mommy is cooking dinner and needs two hands, and her legs, which frustrates Audry in her end of the day tired baby frenzy.
There is something about mommies though, that babies really latch on to.
No pun intended.
But seriously, last week I was at my friend Joni's house. We were supposed to be playing with Jack downstairs so that Joni could get some housework done. When Joni left to go upstairs, Audry had a fit and tried to follow her out of the room, screaming, "Mommy, mommy!" Mind you, I was in the room with her. Jack didn't really mind that we were playing and his mommy left. But for Audry, this was terrible. She really wanted all the mommies in the room.
What is the magical power that we are all endowed with once we give birth and start raising a child?
We know how to kiss owies and snuggle a tired baby. We know how to make delicious snacks and have them on hand all the time. We know how to refill cups and break up fights and give bubble baths and find appropriate things to wear. We do it while still being a wife, while still running a house, doing all the cleaning, cooking and shopping. We do it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (OK, some of those hours are on call, and no one minded if a mommy had a glass of wine while "on call"). Work never ends at 5pm or starts at 8am, yet we feel guilty about a sneaked nap when babies are napping.
I will admit, that even though I am all grown up, sometimes I still want my mommy, or sometimes now that I live far away from my mommy, someone else's mommy can do in a pinch.
