• For all the chaos of motherhood, one finds themself nostalgic for the baby moments
I have been going through a myriad of emotions this past week, only to come to the saddening conclusion that my baby is no longer a baby. As we get closer to the one-year mark, I realised just how fast the months went by.
The only thing I remember about my pregnancy is how much I slept in the beginning and how much insomnia I had towards the end. Now all I can remember about the newborn phase was how much easier it was to handle than the toddler phase.
Gone are the days I would put my baby down in one spot and still find him there. Now, onesies are no longer cute on the baby and the bassinet has become a storage bin instead of a bed. The cute hooded baby towels no longer cover him fully and the washbasin is getting too small. The rocker and baby mats have been gathering dust in the corner.
As my son starts the new milestone of standing on his own and eventually walking, I realised it’s time to say goodbye to all the things that have served their purpose.
It is time to dismantle and box up the rocking bassinet and the cot. Side note: My mother keeps chanting how I should keep all these things nicely for the next one. Who will tell her the news?
I need to add more clothes to the already existing pile of baby clothes that no longer fit. Although I gave away most of the newborn stuff, I just cannot seem to take the next step. I want to hold on a little bit longer to the tight-fitting T-shirts no matter how hard they are to put on. I want to have more time with the full-body onesies, but his feet are longer than the boot. Some of the seasonal attire never even saw the light of day as they were ready for him at the wrong season.
I want to slow down the course of nature, as I want my baby to stay a baby with me just a little bit longer. I am nervous about the terrible two phase, where their favourite word is “no!”. And I am downright scared of the teenage phase.
Unlike me, my baby is excited for the future; he wants to do big boy things. He rejected bottles a long time ago and now he is saying no to Sippy cups. He wants to drink from the cup like a grown man; he has even started yanking my cup from my mouth to his because he has known momma only drinks the good stuff!
I don’t cry at every milestone, but I make sure to take time to appreciate and give thanks to all that we have lived through. I do not want to dwell too much on the past nor fret about the future; I want take it one milestone at a time. As I wrap my head around the fact that my wee little nugget is now a toddler, I can’t help but hold on to my baby a little longer.