Over the weekend, Zach, Lily and myself went over to a friend's house to watch the Falcons play. Our friends have an incredible backyard with a large patio with a roof, fireplace and large screen TV outside. During the game, we began to get hit with a lot of rain and wind which didn't stop any of us from getting cozy on their big couch with blankets, heaters and the roaring fire.My toddler on the other hand thought it was the best idea to jump in the huge puddles that had began to form on the grass and while I started to protest for the first 5 minutes, my three year old had other ideas and kept running through the water in her sparkle shoes.
My first thought was "She's going to get sick!" due to the 55 weather, wind and dampness of the rain. My cool and calm husband kept saying "She's fine. Let her be a kid and play" and while I didn't want to argue about giving her the freedom to enjoy being a toddler ( we all have those days right ) I told her could run and jump for a few minutes.
You would have thought I told her won the lottery with the energy she had jumping, splashing, kicking and screaming with glee and she raced back and forth from puddle to puddle almost knee deep. Yes, she might be getting a cold this week ( great timing for her birthday party this Saturday ) but the moment and smile she had on her face was worth it for those few minutes.
I get it, I need to cool my jets for a few minutes and being pregnant, my hormones are all over the place ever 5 minutes. I worry about my toddler getting sick. I worry I'm not being the best parent at times. I worry for all that's going to change and how we'll adapt to two kids in a few months. I worry. I'm a Mom. But at the same time, I need to let her grow, to enjoy her freedom and childhood and love being little and care free while she can.
