She’s a real person now.
I’m not sure when it happened but it happened overnight. One day she wasn’t a baby anymore. I woke up one day and she was a sassy, opinionated, independent two year old. She’s also so, so sweet. If her brother (who is a lot more difficult than her) wants something that she has, she will gladly give it to him and say “here you go Bubby.” She loves him something fierce and wants to do everything he does. She doesn’t care if he’s mean to her, pushes her down or steals whatever she’s playing with, she loves her big brother more than anything.
She’s also a complete mama’s girl. She nursed for 23 months and although she’s no longer doing it, that’s her comfort zone. She will pull my shirt down and even go as far as saying “mommy I want your boobies” (if you think that’s sexual than you’re gross and need help) and nuzzle in to fall asleep. I’m the first person she runs to when she gets hurt, the first person she cries for when she’s sad, and the person she wants to cuddle next to in bed. She wraps her little arms around my head, pulls me in for a kiss, and then drifts off to sleep.
I know the teenage years are going to be a challenge. I know that we’re going to have our ups and downs and our relationship will be tested when the friend/mom line gets blurry. I know she’ll probably hate me when I enforce her curfew and she’ll give me a few gray hairs when she joins a sorority (if she chooses to be in one). But for now, I’m soaking up every second of it.
She’s the best friend and mini me I always wanted. She’s funny, sweet, and oh so smart. She drives me crazy when she whines and gets her feelings hurt extremely easily, but hey I’m sure I did the same. She amazes me everyday with how much she knows and how she finds joy in the little things, and I hope she never loses her sense of wonder.
When I was pregnant with her I was worried that I would never be able to love another child the way I loved my son. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. I love them each in their own way because they’re different, yet similar. And now I couldn’t imagine my life without either one of them.
Babies don’t stay babies forever. (Wouldn’t that be nice?) But as sad as it makes me, I love watching them learn and grow. To think, “oh my gosh, I made them. I carried them each in my belly for 9+ months and now they’re growing and flourishing and becoming little people.”
So what do you do when your baby isn’t a baby anymore? You slow down. You become more present. You hug them and kiss them and tell them how much you love them. You take pictures but you live in the moment. Because next thing you know, you’ll blink and they’ll be even bigger than they are today.