Mom

I can't wait until Nate starts talking.

Three days ago, Luke started calling me "Mom". At first, I didn't really think much about it. But over the course of the day, "Mom, come here." "Mom, more milk please." "Mom, where are you?" Oh my God, my heart is broken.

There is nothing sweeter than "Mommy" and "Mama". The evolution to "Mom" is a sure sign that my oldest isn't a baby or toddler anymore.

I call my own mom by her first name, Laurie, and I started that as a teenager. It started in jest, because Laurie calls her mom by her first name. It was funny and sassy, at the time, and I'm not certain if it bugged my mom or not. Regardless, I never quite went back to calling her "mom" on a full-time basis.

But if Luke starts calling me "Amy" in ten years, I am sure I will die. In the meantime, I am Mom. In a few months, when Nate starts talking, I will become Mommy again. And I will cherish the sound of that, never, ever taking it for granted.