Thursday, January 3, 2008

Freaky

A few weeks ago, Ladybug and I were passing by the seafood department in Wal-Mart when the woman working the counter hollered, “Is that your child?”

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was talking to me and what we might have accidentally done to cause such a stir.

“Yes,” I replied firmly. “Why?”

“She looks like you!” the woman exclaimed. “She is such a spitting image of you, it isn’t funny!”

Another employee stocking shelves turned around to look.

“Oh my, she sure does!”

The whole exchange kind of surprised me. I’ve always thought Ladybug looks like my husband. Sure, she has traces of me in her face, but if you sit my husband and Ladybug side by side, you’d see what I mean.

But yesterday as Ladybug and I were playing outside, I stopped dead in my tracks. As Ladybug turned around to hand me a ball, only her bangs peeking out from under her hat, I thought I was staring at a childhood picture of me.

It was freaky.

I guess it’s because I still can’t believe I’m a mother. I’m more like a walking cliché: my pregnancy seems like a dream; the first two years of Ladybug’s life have passed in a blur; I still feel like a teenager inside. And then, there I am, standing face to face with my mirror image of 33 years ago.

As I took the ball from Ladybug, I had to look away. It was just too strange to see this little version of me staring back.

I had the same feeling again this morning as I snapped Ladybug’s hat under her chin, her auburn bangs framing her blue eyes. But as Ladybug smiled up at me, I took comfort in the realization that, yes, I am a mother.

4 Comments:

Blogger Melissa Swanson said...

I have that same experience with my youngest son. He is a spitting image of me and my brother; even though he's a boy. Sometimes it gives me chills. My family can't belive how identical he is.
I still think of myself as a teenager also.
You would think that the crows-feet and stretch marks would clue me in, LOL.

January 8, 2008 at 6:48 AM  
Blogger Michelle Mahfoufi said...

Melissa -- Yep, your youngest is a spitting image of you. I thought that the first time I saw his picture. There's no doubting who his mommy is!

January 9, 2008 at 9:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have sorta the same, my daughter looks so much like my husband. One day my mother in law handed me a pictuer and I actually asked ehr why my baby was at the lake in thiw weather and why she dressed like a but. When she told me it was josh and not my Chloe I didnt believe her I still look at it and think when was that taken, one of these days ill scan it and a similar pose of chloe and see what everyone thinks. i do wish chloe looked a little like me tho, i feel like people are looking at me like thats not your baby

January 11, 2008 at 4:23 PM  
Blogger Michelle Mahfoufi said...

What a neat idea to scan the photo and try to re-create the pose with your daughter. As for her looking like your husband, keep in mind this story: We were in Sam's Club one time and a stranger came up to us and looked at Ladybug and then looked at my husband. "Yep, you're the daddy," she said to my husband. "You never know anymore who the daddies are," she went on. "At least you can tell with your daughter."

January 13, 2008 at 1:54 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home