Below is our Mom Story of the Week, from reader and recent winner of my children’s book, My Mommy’s on a Business Trip, Christie Arseneau.  The Story of the Week is becoming a regular feature on this blog, with Christie and other mom’s tales of heartache AND triumph as they balance work and personal lives, on the road and even at home.  What’s your story?

From Christie:
So, the story of the week is the heart-melting good-bye wave.  My daughter, 13 months old today, will on and off wave good bye to people.  She’s gotten in the habit of waving bye-bye when she goes to bed, but won’t wave bye-bye to perfect strangers (probably a good thing that I shouldn’t encourage, but it is just so darn cute!).  Whenever she waves, it’s usually on cue with the suggested “wave bye-bye, baby!”. 

This past Sunday morning, I was leaving on a business trip from Houston to Muskegon, MI.  The baby and my husband were packed in the car and dropped me off at the airport (side note – if time allows for it, this is a great strategy for a working mom.  You get more face time in with the spouse and you get to see the baby until the last moment when TSA kicks the parked car out of the Departure unloading zone!).  As we pulled up to Departures, the baby was sound asleep in the backseat.  Of course, I wasn’t going to ignore the sleeping baby and not kiss her good-bye, so I gently opened the backdoor and leaned down to give my little angel a kiss.  Just as I was leaning over her, she opened those beautiful big brown eyes and smiled.  Up came her little hands and she wave “bye-bye”.   I kissed her, wiped away my tears, kissed her again and closed the door.  As the car was driving off, I could see the little hand waving from the back seat….  This was the first time she’d ever waved bye-bye to me on a business trip.  My heart melted in a giant puddle right then and there. 

When I get back on Friday night, I will see her again – I would’ve seen her sooner in our normal round of Peek-a-boo Skype, but the home web cam was acting up.  I’m sure that she’ll be there, just after security looking through the crowds for mommy.  She’ll smile at some strangers, and bury her head acting all shy to other strangers.  But the biggest smile and cutest wave will come only to me….!  Till Friday night, I’ll have visions of “bye-bye” for now.