The thing is, when my mom tells this story around my kids, they immediately ask, "Mom, what time was I born". My answers have varied. "That's a good question", "Sometime around 10ish and noonish, but I'm not sure which one was which time", and "Didn't anyone ever tell you kids aren't supposed to ask hard questions" are among my most common answers.
Then I always make a mental note to go home and check the birth certificates, or the baby book, and cement it in my head for the next time they ask. Spoiler alert: that never happens. Self reflection is soon to follow as I lay in bed at night remembering that I didn't look it up, and wondering what that says about me. What kind of mom doesn't know what time their kids were born? What kind of mom and I?
*I'm the kind of mom that was never sure she should have kids because I hated babysitting SO MUCH.
*I'm the kind of mom that prayed my whole life for a C section so I wouldn't have to go through water breakage or labor.
*I'm the kind of mom that spent my entire pregnancy SICK as a DOG, hating every minute, and thinking that "glow" everyone talks about is urban legend.
*I'm the kind of mom that HAD to find out what the gender of my babies were (even though I liked the idea of being surprised) because knowing if it was a HE or SHE made it seem less like it was an alien.
*I'm the kind of mom that tells my kids they are weird when they do weird things, like the floss dance, and tells them that they better not quit their day job when they tell me jokes they made up and those jokes are bad.
*I'm the kind of mom who painted the word DREAM and hung it where my little girl can see it as she falls asleep, and have moved it four times and hung it on four walls...so that she will know that no dream is to big and no dreamer too little.
*I'm the kind of mom who has made up unique little bedtime rhymes for both my kids, and sent them the recording of myself saying them, (and singing a Hush Little Baby) so they can hear me say goodnight to them when I am not home at bedtime.
*I'm the mom that stays up late to watch my kids sleep...and wakes up early to lay in bed beside them before I have to wake them up for school. (Slight stalker move, but it's OK if you're the mom.)
*I'm the mom that has always taken jobs at schools not depending on where I wanted to work, but depending on where I thought my kids would best be placed in school.
*I'm the mom that makes my son make his own lunch because I don't want him to grow up and think it's the woman's job to make the food, but I'm also the one who places my hand over his and spreads the peanut butter with him when he is frustrated that he can't make a sandwich like I can.
*I'm the mom who's not impressed with good grades, but gosh I love to praise hard work.
*I'm the mom that kills plants and fish, without prejudice.
*I'm wrong more than I'm right.
*I pray without ceasing, but only help conquer all of the worrying that I do.
*I fail on such a regular basis that I have stopped keeping track.
*I fight with my husband in front of the kids.
And I'm the kind of mom who loves. I loved them before I knew them. I loved them when I was sick and pregnant. I loved them when I thought they might be aliens. I love them when they are little weirdos just like me, and when they are smarter than I can take credit for. I love them when they are asleep (maybe most of all) and I miss them so much when they are at school. I love them enough to worry about what kind of man and woman they will grow up to be, and to talk to them (since before they could talk) about nurturing their dream. I love them enough to apologize when I fail, and to tell them how frustrating it is for me when I am wrong. I love them enough to let them see that love isn't always pretty, but that it never fails. I'm the kind of mom that believes that God has a plan for my two little people that no one else in this world can fulfill...
... and that has no idea at what exact time they were born.
:)
