It seems just yesterday I was buried under the monstrous daily laundry piles only a baby creates. It seems like yesterday I awoke many times in the middle of the night, changed ten diapers a day, fed him his every meal and held him all day long.
I savored his first three months - the infant stage - this time. I soaked it all up and I treasured it. Indeed there were days I found myself completely exhausted, overwhelmed. But those days are gone now. This morning I looked at the stack of bibs folded in his drawer and realized I don't put them on him anymore. He used to go through eight a day. I miss all that spit up. All that laundry. I really do.
He turns five months tomorrow. So I can still say he's a four-month-old, which somehow sounds much younger to me. But this baby is eager, interested, self-propelled. Before I let him
propel himself any further towards
toddlerhood I'm going to savor today.
Today, my sweet baby:
You have two teeth.
You sit up...in your high chair where you eat mashed bananas and sweet potatoes..
...and in the grocery cart. You love the grocery cart.
You're so eager to crawl. Last week you could only "scoot" backwards. This week you move forward. With strength and perseverance.
You sleep ten hours straight at night, and always wake up smiling.
You eat your own toes.
You belly laugh your whole family into joy.
And last but not least, my favorite of all your accomplishments....you say "Mama" with clarity and distinction. "Mama, Mama" you repeat over and over. It is your first word and no matter when or where I hear you say it I will come running. Just to hear you say it again.
I have free time again. I'm on top of the laundry. I knitted ten rows yesterday. I pruned roses that had been neglected since April.
They went so fast, those days. But I really let everything else go this time...the house, the garden, outside commitments...
It was so worth it.
