A Very Public Thank You

My mum and step dad left today after being here for 16 days.  They arrived a few days after Adam’s birth.

Their arrival was fraught with some anxiety, for me and for mum.  We have had a less than perfect relationship over the years.  A relationship that, at times, consisted of nothing but shouting and swearing and slamming of doors.  A relationship of worry and anxiety and my mental illness and her anxiety on top of it.  It was pretty horrid, actually.

So we were both anxious about her being in my space, with my husband and my brand new baby for 16 days.  And I had sent her an email to that effect before she arrived, reserving the right to send her to a hotel if it got to be too much.  And she reserved that right, right back.

Instead, when she left this morning, we were both crying.  So sad to have her leaving.  She was sad to be leaving Adam, for sure, as they definitely bonded over the last 16 days.  But also sad to be leaving me.  The daughter I think she finally saw as a competent grown up with a great marriage and the best baby in the world.

So I wanted to say thank you.  Thank you mum for: –

• Walking into my flat and immediately cleaning the outside of my toaster and letting me tease you for it for the next 16 days (who cleans the outside of the toaster???).
• Cleaning both of my bathrooms.  Twice.
• Doing the laundry.  Over and over.
• Creating a great changing pad for Adam.
• Buying two adorable Winnie the Pooh prints for his room.
• Sacrificing a nights sleep so Simon and I could both get one good night.
• Taking me to see the Vagina Monologues.
• Respecting my wishes when I asked you to stop saying how good it was for me to not be able to breast feed, due to my lack of exhaustion.  It still hurts, and you respected that.
• Dragging Step Dad out of the flat when you knew Simon and I needed some space.
• Buying lots of wine.
• Telling me that you are proud of me, proud of my partnership with my husband, and how much you adore my son.

I love you mum.  Can’t wait to see you again.