Countless parents watch their children grow with thoughts of "please slow down" or "please stop growing so fast." And I just like can't bring myself to get on that bandwagon.
I know, I know. "Well that's because you only have a toddler, just wait till he's a teenager."
False.
My brother was born when I was 14 and he just turned 17 this month, so I have witnessed every stage of his childhood and trust when I say I know that teenagers are royal assholes. I still am not afraid to see my son seemingly grow too fast.
It's true what they say about the days are long but the years are short by every meaning of the term. Some days are treacherous and downright exhausting, but then you blink and your child is another year older. And you're like uhh where did that year just go?? But unlike every parent I've ever met, these days don't make me sad. Instead, they excite me.
Watching my son grow has been amazing. Seeing each phase of his baby and toddler years and everything he learns each day has been nothing short of a miracle. And while sometimes there are days that I miss him sleeping on my chest as a baby, I wouldn't want to go back to those days - at all.
Sure, my son is too big to curl up in a tiny ball on my chest, but now that he's older he can actually hug me back and say things like "I love you too, mommy." And yes, sometimes it was nice that as a baby I could just stick him in a bouncer and get some household chores done. But now I have help with the chores, to a certain degree. I love teaching him things like how to sweep and how to put wet clothes into the dryer, etc. He LOVES to help me with laundry. I also nursed him for his first full year, and while I loved the bond, I could not waitttttttttt for him to be able to be off my damn boob and instead just sit down and have a piece of pizza with me. Baby food was fucking annoying and expensive, especially if you only bought organic like we did. I'm sure it wouldn't surprise you to hear that not once did I make his baby food. The only way I ever "made" his food was if I mashed something up on my own plate to scoop out onto his. I'm a working mom, ain't nobody got time for that. If you are a parent that manages to make your baby's food then my hats off to you, you deserve a small national holiday for yourself.
Another reason I am loving the growth is because they can actually like participate in life with you. I can take him to a playground and let him run around without being a lurking shadow guarding his every move. We can go to fairs or carnivals and he can actually play the games and win some prizes. You can even finally share some funnel cake or some ice cream with them (though I don't actually share my ice cream because ice cream is life and he can back the f up and get his own, but you get what I'm saying). We can also get a little rough and I can toss him into the pillows on the couch, which makes him laugh SO hard. And he can go to another kid's birthday without me having to be terrified of small toys on the ground or worry if they'll have baby-friendly food.
What I really don't miss - DIAPER BAGS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE WORST. Full disclosure though I still have one in my car right now that has snacks and a change of clothes BUT I don't lug it around everywhere we go, it stays in the car. I bring wipes everywhere but those fit in my purse. If something happens and we need the something from the diaper bag then we can always go back to the car.
In some ways, I actually wish he would grow faster. Might sound backwards to many of you but there is SO MUCH I cannot wait for him to do. I am like itching for this child to play sports. I find myself checking the local youth sports website like once a month to double check what age you have to be to start participating. I'm excited for him to go to school full time and have field trips and plays and sleepovers with friends. I'm excited for him to help more around the house - chores will definitely be thing in this house. I'm also looking forward to when he can just take some Tums if his stomach hurts or some Tylenol for a headache. You have to be so careful with meds when they're this young. We damn near had a fight to the death the other night when I needed him to take some cough syrup, and I now have to disguise it with juice to avoid a clash of the titans. It will also be nice when he can actually wipe his own ass or wear a shirt for longer than three minutes before growing out of it.
And honestly? I'm excited for a little more independence of my own. I travel a lot for work and always need to make sure there is someone lined up to watch him or keep him overnight. Beach trips and vacations with your kid(s) when they're little isn't exactly a vacation. I see my mom and my aunts and uncles relaxing in the sun while their older kids and teenagers play in the sand on their own, meanwhile I'm still sometimes making sure mine keeps it out of his mouth.
There will always be some things that I miss about him being this little, but overall I am welcoming his growth with open arms. My mom has always said to me that I was blessed with the "grandparent's perspective" with having seen my brother grow so fast. I thought it would make me want to really hold tight to these baby and toddler years but it surprisingly hasn't. And while yes, the years have flown by and I cannot believe my baby bro just turned 17, not once have I looked at my son and thought wished he would slow down.
I hope this can help you not be quite so sad about your little ones getting older. There is so much to look forward to with each year. Every age has its challenges but every age also has its rewards. And every year that they grow gives you a little more freedom and time to yourself as a parent and an adult.
He just always better love me this much or we're gonna fight.
Kidding, kind of. Grow baby, grow!
Cheers,
- The Whiskey Mom
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