When did I become my mom?

It happened about three weeks ago. My husband, toddler daughter and I were at a restaurant packing up to leave. All the napkins had been used and cleared from the table and my baby wipes were in the bottom of my cavernous bag. That’s when the offense took place. I took my thumb to my tongue followed by wiping the same thumb across my daughter’s cheek multiple times, all while she’s flailing her arms. My husband looked at me and said, “What did you just do?” My only response was, “I just became my mother.”

The whole ride home I sat perplexed in the passenger seat. My mind, like a rolling rolodex went back through the past 15 months as I thought through the other times my mom has come to life through me.

There have been times when my daughter is being her sassy-self and testing boundaries. I have popped her hand a couple of times when she went after the nightlight in the main hallway. Her response? Eye contact and giggling. My response, “Well, just wait until I tell your father.” (GASP!) That statement was like a broken record playing in our house growing up – mostly because of my brother and sister, of course. I was an angel. ☺

Looking back, I think I started molding into my mom when I was pregnant. As we narrowed down our final baby girl names, I stood at the top of the stairs and yelled, “Addeline Ann Voorhees, you come here right now!” Then I would test the other baby name we were considering. That was the deciding factor – how her entire name flowed out of my mouth when she was in trouble. Poor girl was still cooking in my belly. I should have realized then what was beginning to unfold, as full names were said often in our house by my mom.

I’m only 15 months into my mommyhood, so who knows whatever “momisms” will come out. Once it’s all said and done, I guess my mom did really know what she was talking about all these years.

Smarties – have you started to morph into your mom? Share your story of when you first realized you were becoming your mom.