He'll be a toddler soon.

I noticed that time is passing too quickly for me. I sat with George this morning and just watched him while he drank his bottle - one of the last bottles he will drink because he is almost one year old and that means we need to move on to a sippy cup. In a way, it makes me so sad to realize that he is almost a toddler - no longer a baby. I find myself wishing I could just hang onto these moments just a little longer. Soon there will be no more bottles, no more pacifiers, no more diapers. I remember the first baby shower I had with Luke and how I received the precious little baby items. I was amazed by how tiny the diapers were - how quaint all the baby items seemed. I gazed at the bottles and imagined my little baby boy grasping it and smiled with excitement. It all seemed so idyllic. In the thick of raising a baby, however, these items become more utilitarian than sentimental. I usually take it for granted that we have a drawer full of baby spoons, sippy cups, and jars of baby food. It drives me crazy that there is a high chair as a permanent fixture in my dining room. I hate having a baby gate dividing my house and finding baby wipes in my briefcase. But, as this era in my life starts to draw to a close, I feel a tug of sadness realizing that there will be no more babies. No more late nights with a baby nuzzled to my breast. No more crib sheets, or newborn baby cries. No more old women in the grocery store trying to get a glimpse at my baby. No more drool on my clothes. No more anticipation of what my baby's first words will be. It is sad, but happy news that my baby is growing up. He is wonderful now and will grow more wonderful with each year---and I look forward every moment.




Now that I've posted this, I can hear all of you placing bets on how soon I'll be pregnant again. Well, don't hold your breath.