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There are moments in motherhood that no one warns you about…
The ones that catch you so off guard, you don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or just sit there blinking into the soft glow of your nightlight.
This was one of those moments.
It was late. The kind of late where the world is hushed and the laundry pile doesn’t exist for a few sacred minutes.
We were curled up, tangled in that rare quiet connection that’s hard to come by with a toddler underfoot.
And just as things started to feel… well, romantic… he said it.
“Mom.”
One word. Not even a sultry whisper, just a casual, half-asleep mom.
I blinked. He froze.
And then the two of us, sleep-deprived and delirious started laughing so hard we nearly woke the baby.
Marriage after kids is weird, beautiful, hilarious terrain. And sometimes, you just have to laugh your way through the awkward parts.
This Is What Love Looks Like Now
Once upon a time, romance was long dinners and spontaneous road trips.
Now it’s split snacks and tag-teaming bedtime routines.
It’s texts that say “the toddler pooped in the tub” and “don’t forget to pick up more baby wipes.”
It’s collapsing into bed at the end of the day with a million tiny things left undone and still choosing to reach for each other.
So yeah, he accidentally called me “Mom” in the middle of what was supposed to be a steamy moment.
But honestly? It makes sense. That’s what I am now to our child, yes, but also to this whole messy, beautiful life we’re building.
The schedules, the snacks, the snuggles, the constant multitasking — Mom is kind of my superhero name these days. And sometimes it just… slips out.
We’re Allowed to Laugh
There’s this pressure we put on ourselves to keep things passionate and Pinterest-perfect.
Like if we’re not lighting candles and whispering sweet nothings every Tuesday night, something must be wrong.
But I think there’s real intimacy in being able to laugh together in the middle of the mess.
In that moment tangled in sheets and giggles and the wild, weird overlap of being lovers and parents we weren’t failing.
We were actually kind of winning.
Because we’re still showing up. Still trying. Still finding each other, even through the fog of sleep deprivation and Paw Patrol marathons.
Let It Be Funny, Let It Be Real
If I’ve learned anything in these four years of motherhood, it’s this: the magic is rarely where you plan for it to be.
It’s in the interruptions, the imperfections, the unexpected laughter.
So if your partner ever calls you “Mom” in bed, just know you’re not alone.
You’re part of a very tired, very loved, very giggly little club.
One that finds romance in reheated coffee and humor in the chaos.
We’ll get back to candlelit dinners someday. Or maybe we won’t — maybe we’ll just get better at lighting candles between toy clean-up and bedtime books.
Maybe intimacy will look less like seduction and more like honesty, like holding hands while folding laundry.
Like finding each other in the mess and saying, “Yeah, this is us. And I still choose you.”
And if the word Mom accidentally sneaks into those sacred moments? Honestly, it just means you’re doing it right.
