On Saturday, my friend, Rosie was having a house party for her last baby – he turned one – and Igwe and I were there, with Ada Verastic, of course. The party was set for 4:00 PM, but I got there too early – at past 6:00 PM. Because Naija time.
Anyway, I was seated next to a young lady (whom I like to think I became friends with that day), and she had a six-week old baby. It was only when I saw the baby that I realized just how much bigger my Ada Verastic had gotten. She looked like a giant next to this six-week old beauty. Of course, I’ve always known that Ada Verastic was growing, but I just never realized how much.
These babies are NOT our babies.
I sat next to this lady and her six-week old baby, and next to them was another lady whose baby was two and half years old. I and the two ladies had quite a few things in common. We were all Igbo, all our babies were girls, and all of us were first-time moms. The part that surprised me was that throughout our time at this party, our conversation revolved mostly around children and motherhood. When did I become this person?
I used to get bored and tired when I was around women who continuously spoke about their babies/children, but now, there I was participating very actively in such a conversation. My baby does this. My baby does that. My pregnancy was this. My pregnancy was that. My baby can do this. My baby can do that. She eats this. She eats that. And I loved every bit of it. I have become one of those people I used to get tired of talking to.
That said, I will try to not bore my friends who are not moms yet. I will try to not be that mom who bores you with details that you could not care less about. I will try to not interrupt our conversation to force you to speak to Ada Verastic, knowing that she cannot talk yet. I will try to not excitedly tell you about what new thing Ada Verastic is doing these days because before I became a mom, it was conversations like this that bored me. But here I am now. I have become that mom.
I have become that mom who insists on talking to her baby with full sentences, as if her baby understands. Like when I ask Ada Verastic why she’s doing what she’s doing, knowing that she cannot respond. I have become that mom who strolls through the grocery store aisle and has long conversations with her baby, asking her what she thinks of what I’m buying.
P.S. Ada Verastic turned 5 months on Sunday. I think it’s a good time for all of you to start calling her Aunty. She’s not your mate.
LOL…i got married recently and I realised that I subconsiously talk about my husband and the adjustment to being married a lot…now I try to keep quiet
So I can totally relate, I hope I don’t become one of the annoying mums
Tehehe. They’ll soon be rolling eyes at you, like she thinks she’s the only one who can get married.
Ok now am actually just realizing that all the discussion that night was amazingly about babies. Aunty Ada verastic was really a giant around us, and so making us have a super sensitivity to other babies and how much we have grown aswell, we actually saw one yesterday and was thankful for growth.*wink* we look forward to growing as big as you soonest. We rocked our onezie yesterday….Plenty plenty loff.
Lol. Yes oh, Chidinma. We definitely talked about mommyhood the whole day. Yay for seeing a bigger baby … told you it’ll happen.
That’s because this is your current experience and it’s a new phase of life for you. PLUS you were with new mums too and that is/was the common denominator.
I gatrillion percent KNOW that the whole world will get tired of hearing about my child/children whenever they come.
lol.u r right! It takes conscious effort to be considerate of those not in the same situation you are in and keep the conversation neutral.
Berry, at least you know what you’ll be like and you have been kind enough to warn us ahead of time.
Loool… it’s funny how children just take over our lives and we can’t help but talk about them. Love to Ada.
Heartbreaking story: how my father got me pregnant
I knowwwww! She’s truly taken over my life.
Lol.
This will now be the new norm for you Vera.
It is the same for me, ALTHOUGH I can swear that I know someone at work whose incessant chatter about her toddler and present pregnancy makes me want Pull out my hair- it just goes ” ninininininin” in your ears every second you ask her how she is, in a breathless voice too- I wonder how the single people around her cope when a mom like me finds it exasperating.
Judgejudyjudy, lol at the person at your job. Imagine how the non moms feel when that person talks. I think it’s okay to talk about it, but there’s always a limit.