"Just 'cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town." -- George Carlin

Monday, January 21, 2008

Feelin' Un-Mommy like

When I came home today, I was SO happy to see lil' Monkey. Even though I was only gone for two and half days, I really missed him. However, while I was away, I partied like a non-Mommy (the wedding was open bar so you do the math). It was fun to dance and whoop it up with my cousins because let's face it, that's probably the closest I'll come to my clubbing days ever again. Of course, I was the only one partying that needed to stop periodically to pump and dump (special thanks to the wedding planner who let me use the office at the reception hall). So when we arrived home and it was my time to take over the baby responsibilites, I felt very out of place at first. Could I remember how to DO THIS? Did Monkey still love his mama? He was definitely a little apprehensive at first, perhaps because I was too. We'd smile at each other but something was definitely OFF. It took a little while I think for both of us to get back into our groove.

Still there were days even before I left this past weekend that I just didn't feel like a mommy. Almost as if I were pretending. I felt this way at my first "dress up" job as well -- as though I were wearing my mother's suit and heels and playing office. Somedays I either couldn't believe the amount of responsibility or begrudingly accept whatever I had to do. I didn't want to pump before going to bed, I'd think, "I WANT TO SURF FOR SHOES!" I didn't want to get up at 6 am when Monkey got up (of course, I did). I'd feel like the world was going to end or social services would come because I forgot his gloves and a good mommy, one that wasn't pretending to be a mommy, wouldn't have forgotten!

But as it turns out, I'm not the only one. Thank God.

Gray Matter Matters has an excellent post on her site about how sometimes she feels like a "Poodle in a tutu". This was her analogy to how she doesn't always FEEL like a mommy.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one and that post came just at the right time.

SIDENOTE: Seems like I always get an appropriate song in my head after posts like this ...

And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?
And you may ask yourself
Where is that large automobile?
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful house!