When you first hear "mummy"

The first time your baby says “Mummy” should be an amazing moment right? That’s how it is in films. The baby looks lovingly up into their mother’s eyes and says “Mama?” or something equally special. In real life (or my life) it has taken some time before the sound out of baby’s mouth can definitely be claimed as “mummy” (or a derivative). 

First we had “mmm mmm mmm” noises which were one of many repetitive sounds to leave Little’s mouth.  There were weeks of “did she say..?”, “was that..?” and “did you hear that?”. At some point this evolved into a more definite “mum mum” which is recognisably directed at me. Now when Little wakes up or wants me she calls “mum mum” or “Mama”. More often than not she says it half crying and it does a little thing to my insides. There is no point trying to finish whatever I am doing as some basic instinct inside of me forces me to go and respond to her. It’s incredibly special, but it has the same control over me as those little newborn whimpers. “Yes, baby, mummy is here”.

Other words are starting to join Little’s vocabulary and at some point the “mum mum” will turn into another name for me. Her big sister most often calls me “Mummy”, but I occasionally get “Mama” (which I love), “Mum” (which I hate) or “Kate” (which she is about 15 years too young for). 

A blonde woman in a black "Mama" sweatshirt holding a baby dressed in red


At some point being called for by your baby becomes less special. The frequency increases and it is used out of laziness rather than need.  Sometimes I get called “Mummy” and I get a warm fuzzy glow, but then there are the other times. Like when my eldest daughter is calling me repeatedly from the other side of the house because she can’t be bothered to pick something up. Or when she is calling me in the middle of the night because she needs a wee. Or when she comes into my room when I was trying to get the baby to sleep, even though I made her promise she will only disturb us in an emergency, and says “Mummy? Can I go on the iPad?”. 


Of course I will never tire of “I love you Mummy” or “You are the best Mummy in the World”, even if I’m her only Mummy.

7 comments

  1. Hearing mummy is one of the lovelies things in the world and i love it when its a half asleep half awake cuddle and not so much to get your attention, just to know youre there!

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  2. I can't wait to hear Mummy but I know what you mean about the different reactions to it! Friends of mine have told me the same, you can't wait til they can talk and then they spend forever shouting MUUUUUUUUUUM!!

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  3. Such lovely memories :) Mine are all grown up now and I find myself wanting them to say mum mum mum a bit less haha

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  4. Hahaha completely agree. With a toddler already I am in absolutely no rush to hear my name being called double the amount of time.

    Emily x

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  5. Aw my baby is three months so I am desperate for this time but I do appreciate it will probably be short lived xxx

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  6. I can still remember the day my boys said mum xx

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  7. I remember my first took ages to say mama, dada was her second word but it was months before mama was heard! This time Baby is saying mama already but not meaning it, of course I'm leaping on it every time saying, "yes, that's me, I'm mama!!"

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