A Mommy in the Making

Gift certificates are the greatest gifts you can give a toddler. I think it's the personal freedom they get from chosing WHATEVER it is they want. I'm not sure how other moms are, but if my child has a gift certificate and chooses to purchase Armor All --well then, so be it.

Mia recently took a ride on the Target gift certificate train (thanks Uncle Fran). Like most kids, her first stop was the toy section. Dammit, I should have taken her to the maternity section. Maybe she could have hooked me up with a cute little Liz Lange number. But no, the toy aisle was the closest to the door. Go figure. I got you pegged Target.

Get their attention as quickly as possible!

We cruised up and down the toy aisles until she made it perfectly clear (with her maddening yelp) that she wanted some quality time browsing the plethora of dolls that were on display. She looked at every one. I mean, every single one. A doll that caught her eye was one that came with a bottle.

You know the one.

The one where the milk magically disappears when the baby drinks it? Bingo! She found her purchase. In fact, she wouldn't let it go. The cashier had to step around to scan it.



After arriving home, Mia immediately began feeding and nurturing her new purchase. We sat on the couch and discussed how she was going to be the baby's mommy and the very thought alone made her radiate. She kept saying "me, mommy" with the proudest smile. I was touched by the endearment she had for this doll. How carefully she held it, how warm she kept it, how softly she kissed it.



I gotta admit I get choked up when I think about what kind of moms these girls will grow up to be. I wonder if some of the random and crazy things that we do somehow will get filed in their subconscious and resurface when it's their turn to show their kids the world. Will they hug and smooch their kids as much as we do? Will they sing and dance and explore with their kids as much as we do? Will they lose their patience with their kids like we sometimes do?

I pray that I'll be around to witness it all. I imagine it must be a wonderful feeling for a mom to watch her daughter become a mother. Yet, I also imagine that, in some cases, it may not always be as wonderful as we'd imagined, maybe filled with disappointment or heartbreak.

All I can hope is that I'm setting a good example. Time will tell. Until then--dude, Mia, you're freakin' "real life" baby doll will NOT STOP CRYING. Feed her dammit or I'm taking those batteries out!!!