Sometimes all the pieces in Baby ABC’s brain grow in just the right way to make mommy laugh while she cries.

Piece 1: ABC is in the babbling stage. She’s said a couple words, but mostly she plays around with sounds. So far we get a lot of “dadada” and not much “mamama”.

Piece 2: We’ve been signing to ABC since she was about 6 months old. Around 10 months I was about ready to give up. Is this kid ever gonna sign back? And then she signed “milk”. Well…kinda. Close enough. She shook her hand instead of the open and close motion we use, but we got the gist.

Another month or so passed and “milk” was the only sign in her repertoire. That’s it? No more signs? Why do we even keep trying this? I was just about to give up again when she signed “more”. Well… kinda. The sign for “more” is bunching your fingers on each hand together, like you’re making duck bills, and then bringing the tips of the fingers together. ABC kinda… clapped. So it was less signing “more” and more a snobby “Hop to, Mother! I need a thing. Pip Pip!” Meh. Close enough.

Put it all together and what do you got? When Daddy gets home ABC smiles and burbles “Dada Dada!” When Mommy gets home ABC frantically signs “Milk! Milk! More milk!” Sigh.

The rewards of motherhood are in the details. When I move ABC to her crib at night and she snuggles me because she’s too sleepy to wriggle away, that’s rewarding. When ABC wants to read a book that I read as a child over and over again on my lap, that’s rewarding. And someday, when she’s old enough, I know she’ll call my name to come play or for snuggles and she’ll be able to say “I love you, Mommy” and I know my heart will explode with the joy of hearing those words in her tiny voice.

Until then, just call me Mommy More-Milk.