I'm Two, the Final Reflection...

I'm sure it's something you've heard a thousand times without really thinking about what it means. "They grow up so fast." It's something that people say all the time along with "be thankful for your health" and "be careful with your money." And then you have children of your own, and you start to understand why people say these things. You change diaper after diaper. You wipe noses, faces and hands. You slice thousands of bananas, wash two thousand onesies, and walk hundreds of miles with the stroller in the hopes that your little one will take a nap. Then you sneak into her room one night when she's asleep and watch her sweet little face and realize she is a baby no longer. It all goes by in the blink of an eye. You move up diaper sizes, shoes sizes, clothes sizes. They get more teeth and bigger beds. Then one day it happens for the first time. They say "No Mommy, I do it myself." Then that painful process starts when you come to realize that they won't need you forever, and they won't run to you every time there is a bumped knee and hurt feelings. I will admit there were times in the first year when the responsibility felt overwhelming and I wondered if I would ever be able to remember myself as just me and not "Lexi's mommy." Now I know that as she needs me less and less it will be so much harder for me to let go of her than it will be for her to let go of me. So as this slow and painful process of letting go starts for us, I will make sure to take the time in the next year to enjoy the "mundane" every day moments, as I have heard that these are the ones that parents miss the most after their babies have grown and flown the nest to live their lives. Happy Birthday Sweet Pea.