I never wrote an entry yesterday because I wasn't in a writing mood, and to tell the truth I feel even less writerly today, but I'm going to force it because that's what I do.
I'm at the point right now where I'm aware every second of every day that my boy is not a baby any more. I know that technically he hasn't been a baby since his first birthday, but come on. As we go through the final months of his second year, I'm constantly smacked in the face with ways he's changed. His legs, his formerly roll-y chubby stumps, are sturdy and strong. Perfect legs, but not baby legs. He's not quite fluent in the english language, but words are added every day. Now he calls my dad by his first name in lieu of calling him a grandfatherly title, but it's quite fitting, really. He can eat everything with a fork. He's strong in his opinions. He follows directions and participates in things like music class. He knows his primary colors - granted he identifies them by their corresponding Muppets (red is "Elmo," yellow, "Bert" etc.) He points to other kids and calls them "baby." He could use a proper haircut, I guess, but I'm not ready for that yet. He still has a bottle at night and in the morning, he's still in diapers, he still snuggles up to me like my own special cub. But for all intents and purposes, he's a toddler, and even almost not that any longer.
As I went through all his infant things this weekend and gave most of them away to family members who are expecting this spring, it all came home to me. HR can't really be called my baby, even though he always will be, in my mind. It's true what they say, how fast it all goes, but there's so much to look forward to. Bring on preschooler HR, big boy HR, all the boys and men he'll be.
This is the point where other people decide to have another one. And this is the point where I am saying for sure we're just not going to do that and that is our decision and that is that. All the more reason to embrace and enjoy the hell out of every stage.
Apropos of nothing, I sort of love this song right now.
for what it's worth, my 7 year old nephew still responds to "baby." he's very clearly a "kid," but knows he will always be all of our baby and quite cutely revels in it :)
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