Mommy's baby?

I am currently out of town, on a little get away to see my younger brother. My mother agreed to watch my kids as a little birthday gift, so I could get a break. Now, as things have gone a bit awry, and i began having car trouble, my get-away has been extended...
I called my kids on the phone and talked to all of them except my 21 month old, who, my mother said, just looked at the phone in confusion, as I was talking. How did Mommy get in there? I can just picture her little face, in wondering expression.
It seems as though the little angel has been walking around the house looking for me, asking "where"? She is saying one to two words at a time these days, but the meaning is clear. So, she was taking her evening bath, my mother said, and she was refusing to play, wanting out. This is a child that would live in the tub if I would allow it. She was repeating something, over and over,, and finally my mother figured out what she was saying. "mommy's baby"...this is what i call her all the time. Her way of saying...where is my mommy...?
It is times like these when i realize, even though being a mom is a tall order, a never-ending assignment, it is a blessing. I couldnt get in my car fast enough on friday afternoon - thinking of the time among adults that i would enjoy, the sleeping in, the non-interrupted conversations....but that little heart wrench definitely put it back into perspective for me. No matter how tough it gets sometimes, it remains a privelege to have these little people that I love, that adore me, that count on me. No matter how stressed I become, it would all be missed, if it were to vanish unexpectedly. And that is my thought for the day.