Monday, February 27, 2012

He Stands


Sweetie, where is the fire? Who told you that you had to move so damn fast? Slow down baby boy, and take your time.
Too late. Julian is fast tracking to toddler hood. With five teeth, the ability to crawl across a room in record time, a love for finger foods and now his newly acquired skill of pulling up to stand, we are quickly leaving the infant phase in the dust. He is just days from his nine month birthday. It's happening too quickly.
Evan did not even crawl until eleven months. I was hoping for a longer "potted plant" period. That lovely time where you can set the baby down in front of a pile of toys and know that he won't budge. Julian skipped that phase entirely. We must watch Ju Ju Bean like a hawk. He knows what he wants and he knows how to get it. Unfortunately what he wants is usually not a brightly colored Fischer Price baby toy, but a penny, paper clip or some other inappropriate sharp object.
Julian is perpetually covered in dirt and dog hair, a constant reminder of how I am failing as June Cleaver. We are a filthy family. But worse, my baby, my very last baby is....growing up. While I know in my mind that that this is inevitable, my heart is screaming NOT SO FAST! This is it. Last. Baby. Ever. While I could not help but beam as Julian pulled his tiny little legs into a standing position for the first time, I was also painfully aware that with every one of his accomplishments we are leaving an era behind. The era of parenting babies. Just as surely as my laugh lines are appearing my kids are growing up. I'm 37. I have three kids. I am not having any more babies. There is nothing to do but move forward and face the future.

9 comments:

  1. A bittersweet moment....but grow, they do :(
    I miss my girl at different stages of her baby and toddlerhood....I wish I would have savored every second instead of worrying about everything I worried about...
    She turns 6 this year....and I know I'm going to look at pictures of her at this age years from now and wonder where the time has gone...
    Parenting is hard, a difficult mix of raising little people to be wonderful adults that we can release with pride into the world....and never wanting to let them go from our arms...
    *sigh*

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  2. I like Cameron's word choice..."savor" describes it well. You'll have to get skilled at savoring Julian's babyhood on the run because he will probably always be wanting to keep up with his older brothers. I hope you're wearing your track shoes!

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  3. Will he still let me hug and kiss him?

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  4. after 7 years, I didn't realize how fast it would go, I long for the days when she used to lay in my arms and snuggle, those days now are far and few. Cherish each moment, they go sooo fast!

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  5. phoebe will be 1 on thursday and although she is crawling she has yet to pull up. I am sort of dreading it!

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  6. I loved that "potted plant" phase too! I hope you are remembering to break out that video camera and capture lots of it on film b/c you will forget! I know my kids have major taping "gaps" where they seemed to go from 1 year to age 2 and a half because we didn't get the camera out more often.

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  7. Nothing like little crawlers putting everything into their mouth to make you realize how dirty the floors are.

    Awwww, he is so cute, and you're right, it goes by way too fast.

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  8. Our little baby boys are at the exact same development spot -- well, except Cormac has no teeth! Julian is adorable...and I love your hair!!! Thanks for stopping by {modern garden} - I am following you back, mama. Warmly, Greta

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  9. It's such a sad realization, isn't it? My last baby is 3 already, and I'm in fierce denial. Every once in a while I get this crazy urge to have another (maybe I'll get a girl this time!!) and then quickly realize that I must be out of my friggin' mind for even allowing such a thought to enter my crazy brain. I'll bet the older ones can't wait for him to start walking. They are going to be such good friends!

    And AMEN on your Kahlua idea! (I say to my colleagues all the time that we really need to start keeping flasks in our desk drawers.) I mean, seriously. ;)

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