The Importance of a Happy Mommy

<- Magnet from my refrigrator that reminds me to have a sense of humor :)

I'm generally a happy mommy, but I've always wondered if my dispair moments were ever noticed by Melissa. So today I got the answer, and it was a huge YES.

Here's what happened: my husband went to have a haircut, and in the meantime, Melissa woke up from her nap. When he was back, she stared at him not knowing what to make of this short haired guy that looked like daddy. She always smiles when she sees him, so it was clear she was startled. But I hadn't noticed it yet, and started talking about how she woke up, imitating her crying (it was more like a wail). She instantly started bawling, tears running down her face. David tried holding her to calm her down, but she seemed terrified of his hair. When he came home, I think she was still making up her mind about it, and then must have thought it had made me cry.

I was amazed of how much my reaction (or what she thought was my reaction) influenced her. I'd always heard that babies pick up on stress from the mother, that happy babies need happy mommies, but I'd never seen it so clearly. Melissa looks at me to decide how she should react to the world, and if I want her to become a happy and upbeat person, then that's what I should strive to be.