I was standing at the sink rinsing dishes and putting them in the dishwasher yesterday, which is nothing out of the ordinary.
But in one moment, as I was loading the kids forks and spoons, I was suddenly struck with the realization that I do not have any babies anymore. At least not technically.
Yes, K still sleeps in a crib and wears diapers but I don’t really think of her as a baby, especially when she walks to the bathroom now and says, “bush teef?”
And she no longer sits in a high chair. She uses a fork and a cup. Plus, I call her “the toddler” now. When did I start that? I have no idea.
We went to the library today to get The B Man some books to read from The Magic Treehouse series. He’d already read so many of them that we only came home with 3. Of those anyway. He checked out 8 books. I imagine he’ll have them read by early next week.
And Little G is saying names of dinosaurs that I’ve never even heard of and putting on his own clothes and filling his own bowl with cereal.
It’s like they almost don’t even need me anymore.
But they do.
Tonight K hit her head pretty hard on our tile floor. She stumbled over her shoe and landed on the back of her head. She cried so hard and I worried so bad for a while because the welt on the back of her head got bigger and bigger. And well, OUCH.
Little G has something going on with one of his thumbs and I’m probably going to have to take him to the pediatrician because it is red and swollen around his finger nail. I’m not sure what happened and he doesn’t complain of pain but it does NOT look good.
And The B Man has a terrible scrape on his knee from a mishap at dinner out the other night and I have to kiss it every night before bed and…
… yes, I did kind of feel like I was running an infirmary tonight, thankyouverymuch.
All this to say, I know they still need me and will forever be my “babies”, but at the same time, they are growing so fast that it’s hard to even comprehend sometimes.
So instead, I’ll just post a picture from the past that makes my heart smile.
(I might also be reminiscing since I was working on K’s baby scrapbook tonight… possibly… perhaps…)
Omigosh that picture! They’re ADORABLE. They do grow fast, sigh.
Sorry to hear that the kids have owies, hope everyone gets better soon!
Oh they are so cute. Don’t worry about them not needing you – I feel like my 9 and 11 year old need me even more now than they did at 5 and 7!
Oh they still need us for a very long time, right?
We just moved my lil man’s crib out of our room yesterday (after a year, lol) and it was so emotional for me! Of course he was in bed with me by about 3am, lol. But still… slow down, time!
Yes! All of this. I get sad because Bud isn’t a baby anymore and David will say, “but he’ll always be your baby.” Yes, but he isn’t A baby. Totally different thing. And Lord please do not ever call him a baby or he will get mad.
It’s almost unbelievable how quickly our babies grow up. When did time start flying by?
And I love this picture. SO sweet and reminds us of how little they once were.
xoxo
Let’s put our heads together to figure out how to make time stand still, for just a little while.
This is very precious and too too true! Sniff!
Oh gosh, I know. I was just thinking about this the other day. The kids’ graduations from their grades didn’t help my nostalgia. 🙁
Grace is the oldest baby I’ve ever had without having another one on the way. 🙁 Boo.
Kat@Seeking Sanity
wow – this is the fourth – “all my babies are growing up/letting go of my babies” post I’ve read today! This is something I would never have understood a year ago. It’s something that I get now. I understand the joy mingled with heaviness that comes with seeing your babies grow up. But know this, Elaine, you hit it right on. the. head. They will always be your babies, and you will always be their mama, and it will always be to you they will when they skin their knee. God bless you and keep you Elaine – and God bless and keep each and every one of yours.
that exersaucer stage so cute..and so fast…then they become mobile and our stress level grows…and grows..
They grow too fast! And hey, that exersaucer looks familiar. I find it hilarious that we got rid of it and then needed a new immediately thereafter. 🙂
They are too adorable in that picture! And, yet they still manage to find trouble, don’t they?
I think the camera is one of the best inventions ever; can you imagine having to rely on our memories alone??
They will always be your babies, in fact I played that Sarah Evans song (“You will always be my baby”) at my son’s HS graduation last weekend!
Heads get big bumps really easily. I think because more blood closer to the surface or something? Anyway, I’m glad she’s all right.
Benjamin somehow shut his finger in a door or something and he looks like he is going to lose the nail. I didn’t even know he was hurt until Travis noticed the finer was massively swollen at the top. Weird.
I just got a flash drive in the mail from family with pics of our kids all the way back when Caleb was a baby! Oh my goodness. So sweet.
Oh they are adorable in that picture even if it is an old one. Kind of sad when we realize our babies are no longer babies, isn’t it.