All three times I have been pregnant, I could not wait to go into labor. The fatigue from carrying around an extra 50 – 70 pounds, random aches & pains, lack of sleep, and inability to be myself was just not my thing. Once the babies came, I couldn’t wait until they weren’t newborns. None of my kids have ever been one of those “sleeping all night” at 2 weeks type of babies, so I was stuck with feedings every night, all night, at least until they were six months old.
Although the baby phase is tiring, it has always been my favorite. They aren’t putting things in their nose and haven’t quite yet figured out how to ask you for a snack. They love to play, cuddle, and still take multiple decent naps throughout the day so you get that small break you’ve worked so hard all day for. It’s both a gift and a curse … since they aren’t yet able to communicate, you are still left with trying to figure out what exactly is causing their tears. Are you still hungry? In pain? Could it be gas? Going ANYWHERE is equivalent to packing up one whole room in your house since they are flying through endless boxes of diapers, wipes and bottles of milk. Not to mention pumping, oh what fun.
I can’t wait for my baby to be a toddler …
The toddler phase isn’t my favorite, but as most say, it truly is “the fun stage.” They are no longer babies and are more independent, and even when they ask for something, it is cute since you just can’t get enough of their little voice. They still love to cuddle, play and they are excited about the simplest things. It doesn’t take much to wear them out, and they are FINALLY sleeping all night. Well, that is if they are even sleeping in their own bed yet. The terrible twos are no joke and the start of a life-long journey of learning right from wrong. They aren’t quite sure why they wrote or smeared poop on the wall. The world is their playground so there is a lot of discovery with a hint of constant falling. They haven’t quite mastered this potty thing yet, and they are so full of the energy you still don’t have.
I can’t wait for my toddler to be a kid …
Aging out of daycare is like paying off a student loan. FINALLY, your precious baby is going to school with the big kids and starting off their educational exploration that will last a lifetime. With their personality now set, you know them well enough to know what works and what doesn’t. You can understand them and they can understand you. They can pretty much take care of themselves and even help with the younger siblings. That is if they can even get along with their siblings. They may be too busy talking non-stop, accidently hurting themselves, or figuring out how to manipulate you into giving them what they want. This stage came fast and I’m not sure it’s one to like or dislike; it just is what it is now. Although it seemed like the hard parts were over, I came to a realization that although they are still young children, they are more aware. Now that they understand concepts, I have to be accountable, answer tough questions, shape them into being good people, and discipline them in hopes of not somehow scaring them for life. This is harder than I thought.
I can’t wait for my kid to be a big kid …
Eventually, babies grow into toddlers, toddlers grow into small children, children grow into teenagers, and the next thing you know, they are a whole adult like you. Having three kids in different stages right now, I find myself constantly wishing I could fast forward to the next. Our little ones change right before our very eyes each day and we barely notice since we are so ungrateful. Quite often, I come across someone who sees us unloading my tribe from the car at the store and they always say the same thing: “Enjoy them now, while they’re little.” I smile and nod annoyingly, not realizing that at one point, they were just like me.
If yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery, why don’t we enjoy our gift? The present. I can’t wait for my kids to grow up … well, actually I think I can.
