Her Mama.

I remember not too long ago talking with some girlfriends, who are also all moms through adoption, and someone asked a question like "when did it finally feel real?" or some form of a question basically asking "when did it sink in that you were finally a mom or your childs mom?" We all shared our experiences and one of the girls, who's baby was only about 6 months said that although it felt real now, that she really couldn't wait to hear her daughter call her Mama and feel and hear that audible validation that she was in fact "Mama", her daughters Mama. I wasn't sure at the time that hearing that word would make me feel anymore of a mom than I already did, but as time went on I thought about it more.

Lovebug started babbling "mama mama" very early on. I used to tease Hubby because it was her first babbling sound and everyone would tell us that "dadada" was usually first. Fast forward a few months (11 months old) and Lovebug began using meaningful words. She'd point to a ball and say "ball" or to a horse and say "neigh". I'll never forget when she looked up at Hubby and said "Dada". It may have been the sweetest sound I had ever heard... up until that point. But, then as time went on,  and she added more words to her vocabulary, I couldn't help but notice there was one particular one missing... MAMA! I thought back to what my friend said and those words rang so true. I wanted so bad to hear it from Lovebug lips. Mama. Her Mama. I'd repeat it to her over and over, usually hearing Dada in return :)

Until one day, early in the morning as I left the living room to go get dressed for the day, I heard this tiny voice running after me saying the sweetest words I'll ever hear. "Mama, Mama!" As I turned around I saw my baby; arms stretched out and eye's locked onto mine. As much as I didn't think it would make me feel more her mom, it somehow did. Just to hear her call me Mama melted me to a puddle and continues to do so everytime she says it.

I'll never forget what it felt like to hear her call me Mama for the first time. Her Mama. Forever.