Mommy the Hut

About two months ago Jon was going to sit on the couch and he sat in the wrong spot. My spot. MY spot. You see, I had practically become one with the right side of the couch. It is the side closest to the window where I can put my drink on the sill. It is the side more directly in front of the tv. And it is the side most comfortable to me. You see, I spent many, many hours nursing and holding a sleeping or non-mobile awake baby on the couch in THAT spot. MY spot.

I ruled all from that spot on the couch: Nursing the baby and watching the other two play. Breaking up fights. Giving directions on what to get started for dinner while I finished feeding the baby. Changing diapers. I slept in that spot on the couch holding Graham while he slept for the first few months--while the other two napped of course. I stayed up late at night watching movies with Jon and nursing the baby in THAT spot on the couch.

And of course I perfected the art of waiting for Jon to get up from the couch or his recliner before asking in a sweet voice, "honey, would you mind getting me some water? some ice cream? my magazine I forgot on the table? the phone? some coffee?" I have to admit that it is hard to get out of that habit. (Insert sheepish grin) But, when I am strapped to the couch holding or nursing a baby it usually goes in my favor.

So, when Jon sat in MY spot on the couch a few months ago I felt very protective of the spot and asked him why he was sitting there. I felt out of place sitting on the other side of the couch. Uncomfortable. And I did not like it one bit. It was then he made a joke about how I am no longer Mommy the Hut. (Imagine Jabba the Hut language here): "Da Wo Ee Hoo A O Way, hahaha" Translation: Bring me a glass of water, hahaha. As soon as he said it he thought I would take the joke the wrong way and think he was calling me a big, fat slug. I knew he didn't mean it that way at all and I laughed hysterically. Sitting on the couch feeding the baby all the time did make me feel sort of like a big, fat slug--especially before Graham was sleeping for any long stretches at night. But he was joking that I can't rule from that spot on the couch anymore and it is time to share the spot since I don't need it as much. It is just that now that Graham is mobile, and nurses only a few times during the day--and only for a few minutes at a time at that--I don't have any excuses to make MY spot on the couch my command post. In fact, I barely sit down at all during the day and I enjoy the time when Graham nurses because it is a break for me to not have to do anything else but sit and enjoy him.

I felt a little mourning moment as I said goodbye to the Mommy the Hut command post and the advantages of having water brought to me when I wanted. If you ever come to my house, you are welcome to sit anywhere you like, except in my spot.