You Know You're a Mother When..

My son is now 19 months old and pretty much since the day he was born, my husband and I have had this eye gaze that only the two of us understand. You know that sort of look right? The one that tells everyone around you that you share an inside joke, an all-knowing understanding. A secret of sorts. Well, our secret is our son and all of the things he does on a daily basis that make us feel that we are truly parents. He is the reason we look at each other with such a gaze, and yet, we are not alone. So many other parents can share in the humor of what I am about to list.

I have heard for such a long time now the phrase "you know you're a mother when..." but I don't feel you can TRULY understand the absolute meaning of this phrase until you become a mother yourself. I'll recant my day to my husband when he returns home from work and I often find myself saying this very phrase after I have told him something that my son had done or something that I had felt. I'd love to share some of these times with you as I am sure that if you are a mother, or a parent in general, that you will be nodding your head to at least a few "you know when's..." on my list.

You know you're a mother when...

-You go through hours of a painful labor and forget absolutely all of that pain the very moment you see your child.

-You absolutely swear that you'd be content if your life consisted of just watching your new baby sleep peacefully on your chest.

-Your breastfed baby has one of their explosive diapers...without a diaper on! Those darn breastfed infant poops just shoot out and I found myself actually catching them! What's that all about?? Yeah, I think you know you're a mother when you're catching your baby's poop as an immediate response.

-You're desperately seeking out the company of other mothers just so you can talk about...what else? Your children!

-You go shopping and you happen to notice each and every parent with a child around you. Not only do you notice them, but you compare their age to that of your own child.

-You go shopping and instead of wanting to buy yourself something, you proceed directly to the children's department.

-A trip to the mall that would have taken you a half hour pre-baby, has now turned into a three-hour afternoon aerobics class.

-Your toddler wakes up from a nap unusually cranky and proceeds to vomit directly on your chest and instead of being completely repulsed, you cuddle your child and tell them that everything is going to be okay as you calmly proceed to the bathroom to wash the two of you up.

-You can't seem to stop yourself from kissing your child's head fifty times a day, pat their bum, and stroke their cheek.

-You beem with pride when a total stranger makes a comment on how adorable your child is.

-You're sitting at the computer wanting to check your e-mail and your toddler wants to sit with you to watch those darn Wiggles and Backyardigan videos!

-You can't remember the last uninterrupted meal you had.

-You can't remember the last time you got to truly sleep in, and then come to the realization that it was probably before you had your baby, and although you complain, you somehow just don't really seem to care all that much.

-You don't want your toddler to fall asleep in the car because you know that they will refuse to take their nap (and boy do you NEED them to take that nap!) if they get even five minutes of shut-eye. To keep them awake, you're belting out Wiggles tunes at the top of your lungs, and doing the motions to the Wheels on The Bus and Twinkle Star.

-You actually know the words to the Wiggles songs!

-Your once uncluttered home has turned into a shrine for toddler toys...Weebles, books, puzzles, stickers, Little People, etc...your couch is there somewhere.

-Laundry takes forever! Your toddler helps you load the washer and then the dryer and when you're attempting to fold the clothes, they want nothing but to play in the laundry basket! :)

-You are about to head to bed when you go check on your 19-month-old sleeping child. You look upon them and although you complain about the clinginess of your child, or the fact that they seem to have terrible sleeping habits and need you for comfort, you want, at that very moment, to pick them up and cradle them in your arms. Make time stand still.

-You look upon your child's face and feel a rush of emotion. This is pure love.