I Feel Like a Mom

I remember the first time I went out in public when Annalee was a week old was to Nathan's college graduation. Suddenly, she needed to eat. I tried to find a secluded place to feed her (there was none) and finally ended up doing it in a bathroom stall. I felt so inept, so unprepared, like a young, unwed, teenage mom! (I was 28.)

I guess I finally started to feel like a mom when I could predict what type of a diaper it would be (wet or stinky) by what time of day it was, and when I could catch her Cheerios in mid-air as she was throwing them off her high chair tray. I know that my mom always seemed to have eyes in the back of her head and the supernatural ability to read my mind. Now I know how she did it! It is a talent that all mothers gain over time from repeated exposure to their children, kind of like being exposed to radioactive spider venom.

When did you suddenly feel like a real mom? (or dad?)