What's in a name...?

As a new mom, I couldn't wait for the day my little bundle of awesome started calling me Mom (or some variation on it). Well, at 7 months, she said her first word. Dada. Yes, dada. And for a long time that was it. She had been a Daddy's girl from the instant she touched the outside world, but this was ridiculous. It works in my favor though, in the middle of the night if she wakes up, she calls for her Dada. He grumbles that I should be getting up since I don't technically have a job to go to in the morning, but Preperation H is too smart for that. If he's in the house, she knows it, and Dada is all she wants.

But, during the day, it's all Mama, all the TIME! Lately, it's gotten out of control as Haley becomes more independent. It starts innocently enough

0530-0600- Dada drops Haley into bed with me before he leaves for the day. "Hi Mama," Haley whispers around her binky, "So soft..." she murmurs as she pats my head.

0605- 'MAMA! Barney!'---oops, must have dozed off for a second. Haley is now yelling and pulling on my hair.

0630- 'Mama mama mama mama...dance'-Haley pulls me away from the Keurig to dance to whatever is on Nick Jr. at 0630.

0645- 'MAMA! Food!' Haley drags her high chair out just as I start brewing my coffee.

0700- 'MAMA! Down, MAMA! NOW! MAMA!' Haley has wolfed down her multicourse breakfast of fruit, grains, and milk products while I try to gulp down a quickly cooling up of coffee.

0800- 'MAMA, outside!' Oh, we're going outside, don't worry. I strap Haley into the BOB and throw on my headphones to listen to Stern. Her shouts of 'MAMA dog. MAMA no. MAMA UP! UP NOW!' are easily drowned out by whatever is happening on Howard that day.

0930- We're back.

1000- I throw H in her crib so I can shower. She hates this, but she would either kill herself or trash the entire house if I let her free range. For a few minutes I have peace, but her high pitched shrieking (is that joy? pain? I'm not sure but if you're the parent of a toddler you've heard it and wondered the same) followed by crib shaking and 'MAMA UP. NOW!' have me wondering if I can knock myself unconscious (just for a few minutes) with the detachable shower head.

1015-1100 is spent trying to get myself dressed and ready while chasing Haley around and getting each of us dressed one article of clothing at a time.

1100- 'MORE MAMA!' Demands Haley as I throw expertly designed turkey and cheese pinwheels onto the tray of her high chair with a side of blueberries. And forget about eating lunch together, if she doesn't get to eat in front of The Price Is Right, we're all in big trouble. She sees the half-eaten protein bar that is passing as my lunch and wrenches it from my hands. 'Mine Mama, all mine.'

1130-1500 Nap time. I usually collapse into a stupor at this point.

1500-1630- This is a whirlwind of 'Mama play, Mama dance, Mama outside, Mama sing, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama, MAMA!'

1630- Dada home. Mama runs away before the cries of 'Wife, wife, wife..' begin.