Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Mom Voice and Stockholm Syndrome

Alright, my little bean. You've done it. You have successfully laid claim to my head and brain and thoughts and words. My vocabulary is shot. My spelling and grammar is worse. I can't keep an appointment or coffee date in my mind long enough to make it real.

My Captor
You have won. 

I'm absolutely, 100% yours. My heart belonged to you the first time I heard yours beating. But now you've won my smart-ass wise-cracking quick wit, too.

These past three days I've had the chance to hear my recorded voice in two different instances. On Sunday This Manic Mama posted a Mother's Day podcast featuring an interview with me. Today I showed Desmond's Babushka a video of me prompting him to say her name: "Babababa."

Oh, the mom voice. It killed me. It literally stabbed me in the chest with its vile high pitched tone and pulled out all my pride with its sing songy joy. Just know that if you are ever near a mom and she is pulling out that crazy voice - chances are she knows how terrible it is. Chances are she wishes she wasn't doing it in front of you. And chances are she won't stop. I won't stop. I know I won't - he loves the mom voice. And I am a sucker to do the things he loves.

Because the deeper I get into this heart-stealing, mind-controlling, head-over-heels love I have for my son, the more I realize that parenting is just a really intricate, intimate, and joy-filled form of Stockholm Syndrome. And damn if he isn't the most lovable captor.

8 comments:

  1. yep, we're screwed. trapped by cuteness. oh the things we'll do for that cuteness.

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  2. If people look at you crazy when you do that voice, just tell them it helps babies learn english. It's been proven, I actually read a study about it once. Unfortunately my children have my memory and I'm not sure where I read it.

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  3. Have I told you lately that I think you are brilliant? No...well, you are. Sing-songy, high-pitched Mom voice and all.

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  4. oh my gosh, i am disgusting. my mom voice keeps getting higher and higher each day. *groan* embarrassing but unavoidable and yet fully embraced by me, much to my dismay. ;) the things we do for these little people.

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  5. I'm not planning on having a kid any time soon, and here I am, totally sucked into your blog! I love how candid and informative you are. :)

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  6. it's a scientific fact that mom's have mom voices. and there's nothing wrong with that!

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  7. hahahaha I looooove this. So true & so terrible at the same time. I can't watch vids of myself lately because they're so vilely sing-songy. But DD's darling smile is worth it every time. I've become *that* lady. Oh my!! :O

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