My “Baby”

My youngest is now 2 years and 4 months old.  She goes to “school”, runs like the wind to keep up with her big brother and sister, speaks in full sentences (some of which I can understand), is potty trained, and has about a 75% success rate with utensils and regular cups (plastic – please, I’m not that adventurous).

And yet, I can’t stop.  I simply can not stop calling her my baby.

This is absolutely karma coming to bite me because before I was here, in this place with a “baby” of my own, I would roll my eyes at anyone who would refer to a walking, talking, child as a baby.  Quit holding that child back!  Quit babying!

Then I met her.  My older 2 are fiercely independent, content to be left to their own devices and constantly looking towards the future with their stories of “when I am big…!”  If I ever even tried to call them babies in their toddler-hood, the notion was shot down immediately; “I no baby! I big!”  But not my littlest.  She’s got some independence in her own right, but mostly she is happy to be exactly where she is and who she is.  A cuddle bug with spontaneous urges for hugs and kisses which she gives into without hesitation.  Rushing simply isn’t for her.

So we both dance this dance.

We share a sweet little made-up song called…you guessed it: “My Baby” and she asks me to sing it to her daily.  And when she does, the world spins a little slower.  I pull her into my arms, I smell her head just as I did the first time I held her more than 2 years ago, and everything else fades away.

Soon enough there will be no baby left in this child, the world will sweep her up into whatever big plans it has in store, but for now I’m taking a cue from her – I’m not rushing it.

 

10 thoughts on “My “Baby””

  3. I love this post. I remember people always saying, “my child is 20 years old and we STILL call her ‘The Baby.'” Now it all makes sense (that phrase and “enjoy it because it goes quickly…” now make sense).

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  4. I must be emotional today because I am sitting at my desk right now reading this and holding back the tears. Sometimes I wish that I could forget about everything else and just focus on my babies. The world needs a freeze frame button

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  5. I still tell my 18 year old son (with a chuckle of of course, although I’m dead serious) that he will always be my baby. We used to read “I love you Forever” every night. If you haven’t already read this book a million times (I can do it now without crying!), take the time to read it to your growing babies. I did and I still tell the both of them to this day “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like your for always. As long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.” :’)

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    1. Denise- I am very impressed that you can read that book without crying! My kids always think I am crazy when I get to the part where the son rocks the mom and get all choked up! 🙂

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  6. I love this post and the pictures with it! Made me a little teary. I’ve told Zo that she will always be my baby even when she’s someone’s grandma. She looks at me like I’m nuts! She’ll understand one day.

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  8. Beautiful. I feel the same way about Lillian who will be 2 years old soon. I tell her every day she’s my baby and she hasn’t yet started to try and correct me.

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