Mommy!

Could there be any word more sweeter to a mother than to hear her toddler calling "mommy!"?

I remember when it seemed like I was waiting "forever" for Kayla to actually call me mommy and now I don't remember a time when she wasn't doing it!

Of course she started with making the 'mama' sound to realizing 'mama' meant something. But still...if I was in the room and you asked her where mommy was she would point to me; if you pointed to me and said "who's that?" she would say mama/mommy. But she wouldn't just call out for me - "mommy" - with meaning behind it - for wanting me specifically for something. I don't know or remember when she first started doing this with meaning, but it's music to my ears!

A couple weeks ago we were at the park. There are double slides there. She was sitting on one and kept pointing to the other one; I kept saying "yes that's a slide too". She finally realized I wasn't getting her meaning. She emphatically pointed at it again and said, "mommy! mommy! mommy!" Ah ha! You want mommy! to go down the other slide at the same time!

I was pushing her on the swing when she started pointing to the other one - "mommy! mommy!"

She'll point to the couch cushion next to her, "mommy! mommy!" or she'll take my hand and bring me into the living room to sit on the floor next to her to watch a video, "mommy! mommy!" always pointing to the spot where she wants me to sit.

We were at the Kids Zone (an indoor play area on base) and we were the only ones there. She played by herself for a little bit then came over to the table to grab my hand, "up!" I followed her around and she wanted me to do everything with her. "mommy!" "No mommy can't go down this slide." She was on a First Step rocking fish and kept pointing to the other one "mommy!" and was getting quite upset with me that I wouldn't get on it. I would put my arms through it and rock it back and forth, but that wasn't good enough for her. Finally she gave up and wanted me to climb through tunnels with her.

"Mommy!" that's how it sounds when she says it too - each time is like with an exclamation point. Following me down the hall "mommy! mommy!" over and over.

And each time it just melts my heart.