a mother's hearing

I used to always wonder how my mom knew what I was up to or even planning at times…I realize now it is because she has a mother's hearing. She heard everything. No matter where I was, or what I was doing, she heard it. I have it too, I have to say it comes in handy. No matter how sound I am sleeping, the slightest noise from either of them will wake me right up.

Early, early this morning I heard a fairly soft thud, followed by whimpering. I knew in an instant Hannah had fallen out of bed. Since it wasn't the "I'm dying" cry but more like the "I'm slightly confused" cry, I pushed Lance out of bed to go help her. One of the perks of me sleeping on the side of the bed that is far away from the door :) He hadn't heard the thud or the whimpering but was out of the bed in a flash as soon as I told him what had happened. Hannah was fine, she just needed a little soothing and reassurance. But it made me think about how many times I wake up during the night because one of them makes a peculiar noise, or how I can be completely absorbed in something and hear one of my babies over any other noise going on.

I have no doubt this super-mom hearing ability is going to come in handy as they get older. All those times I said I wasn't going to be like my mom, I know…I'm going to totally be like my mom. I will always have an ear tuned to what they are doing in case they need help, or in case they are in danger, or in case they are just being plain naughty.

My mom was not the type to just assume I was a good girl because I said I was or because she hoped I was. She was not easily snowed. Its not that she was looking for me to be naughty, but she knew I had it in me and was keeping her ears open to the sounds that would tip her off. Like when I was 16 and thought I was being soooo quiet with my contraband of liquor bottles I had stockpiled for a party. Two bottles clinked together and she freaking heard that tiny clink from 3 rooms away! Or when I was 8 and was talking to my hamster (because that's what you do when you're 8). For whatever reason I felt compelled to say "damn" and she was on me in a second. I remember I was in the den and she was all the way in the living room, yelling out to me "What did you just say?!" The bar of soap in my mouth taught me to never say that again. Not just to never say it in front of her, but not to say it anywhere because by that age I had already started to learn - Mom Heard Everything.