Ma Maven | The Mom Without A Manual

One day you’re carrying your precious newborn baby home from the hospital and the automatic assumption is that you would carry them around the house, carry them to their doctor’s appointments, and eventually carry them through the world. Then one day, something changes.

As if the switch was flipped on, you go to pick them up and all of a sudden they throw their arms open wide and close them again, gripping you tightly around your neck as they begin embracing you. Yesterday it felt like Tre, my most recent pandemic baby, did that to me for the first time ever. Possibly this had been the first time he has intentionally squeezed me or just maybe yesterday’s embrace was my first time noticing. The hug was so tight I think he even patted me on the back to let me know that he was showing me, love.

Since then I’ve mentally noted how my baby boy looks forward to nuzzling up to his mama throughout his day. Though this isn’t my first time experiencing one of my self-made minions expressing their love for me with a hug, this is my first time acknowledging that truly these were the days I looked forward to when I carried all three of them in my womb. Days full of my babies reciprocating all the love that I have shown them since day one.

Without a doubt, all of my children’s expressions of love towards me will not always be a hug or even look the same as one another. Essentially, we are moving into the season where my children aren’t solely expressing that they only want mommy because they need food now and help with homework. Or throwing a tantrum because they’re upset and tired. But now they’re saying without actually saying, “Mommy, I miss you and I want to hold you as tight as possible.”. Or, “hold me because I love when you hold me.”.

And I’m here for all of it.