Growing Up

The girls are growing up. Mikaela is expected to change daily. While it makes me sad to see how she’s no longer a newborn, I realize that within the first year of life, a baby goes through so many changes that if you blink for too long, you could literally miss a major milestone. Naomi, on the other hand, ever since Mikaela was born, seems to be growing and changing at lightning speed. She’s at an age where I myself have memories of, albeit small ones. It’s scary.
Sometimes I allow myself to get bogged down in the daily grind, rolling my eyes when Naomi refuses to walk and wants to be carried, groaning when Mikaela needs another diaper change. Austin and savor the times when we’re off of bath duty, getting the night off from having to wash the girls up, while groaning when it’s our turn to read Dora great adventure, for the umpteenth time before the girls go to bed. Then there are days when I get smacked in the face with the realization that they are growing up, and they’re growing up fast. Did I miss anything? Was there anything that I didn’t miss?
This weekend we went to Speculator, NY for a church retreat. By the time we had checked in and unloaded all of our bags, it was near midnight, and both girls had awoken and were in this hyper alert state. We hadn’t really read up much on the facilities, so we weren’t expecting to have two rooms for our family, much less, a room with a bunk bed. When we got into the other room, Naomi immediately climbed up to the top bunk, by herself, refusing any assistance, and jumped into her bed for the weekend. She was so excited and declared, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever saw!!!” (ok grammar might not be her strong point). She was so excited to have MIkaela share a room with her, and to have Austin and I in the next room. It really hit me that night that by baby was growing up into a big girl.
We also spent quite a bit of time on the beach front of the lake, as well as at the playground. At the beach, she entertained herself for hours, digging, building sand castles, wading in water, filling bucket after bucket of water to pour into her moat. She was fearless as she entered deeper and deeper into the water. I can see myself in her. Her love of the water, love of the beach. I had to remind her to only go in waist deep since she didn’t have any floaties on. At the playground, I watched her climb up to the top of the slides, hang on the monkey bars, and even advance to the big kid swing. As Naomi said, “mommy, since I’m a big girl now, I don’t need to sit in the baby swing anymore”. Nevermind the fact that she fell flat on her butt, and then whacked her head as she tried to leap off the swing. Not that that phased her. After a few tears, she announced that when she came back, she’d try again and probably land it the next time. Yea. Fearless I tell you. She’s growing up. My baby, she hates being called a baby. But I keep calling her my baby. Finally, the other day she said, “mommy, I’ll always be your baby”. Sob.

(ps, did I tell you she’ll wear pants without a fight now!!)