Happy Mothers Day!

Happy Mother's Day all you mums out there!  I hope you're all having a lovely day.  I can't believe I'm a mum.  It still takes me by surprise when people refer to me as mum or mummy.  When I think about what a mum should be like, I can only picture my own mum.  I will always be Poppy's mum, so to her I represent what a mum is.  Weird right.

So what is being a mother like?  It's all consuming.  Your baby is like an extension of you, before she was born she really was.  To a baby you are the centre of her world, her food, her comfort, her teacher, her protecter, her carer and her friend.  Poppy cries when I leave the room and smiles when I enter, unconditional love.  It feels like you haven't done enough to deserve this kind of attention.  But mums you have, you have given life through pain and sacrifice of your body.  

When Poppy hears a loud or sudden sound she will look at me to see my reaction, to know its ok, she then learns this sound isn't a danger. Right from the moment babies are born they recognise the sound of their mothers voice and the smell of their body, this is pretty incredible.  Just the sound of your voice is enough to soothe your baby.  

Before I became a mother I didn't fully understand the importance of a mum, I couldn't understand why mums stayed at home with their children so long, now I can't believe maternity leave is only six months, I couldn't imagine leaving Poppy.  She needs me and I need her.  It has definitely made me appreciate my own mum, I'm happy, healthy and independent, a reflection of her care.  

Every mum is different which is a great thing because it means all children are different.  This diversity is most apparent when I take Poppy to baby club and see all the other babies, all so full of character already.  I just can't wait to see what Poppy is going to be like as girl and a woman but for now I will have to enjoy my little baby.  The bond between a mother and child is everlasting.  So Mother's Day has really made me think about me, being a mum, a woman and how I can be the best mum to Poppy.