Well, it happened.
Bellowing down from the landing upstairs – “MOOOOOM.”
And, just like that, I became a “mom.” Because I’m just a slight bit melodramatic (understatement of the year), I immediately had visions of him pulling out of the driveway in his first car. Visions of meeting his first girlfriend. Visions of him in a cap and gown. Ya’ll, I about cried right then and there.
No longer a mama, mommy, mmmm, or any other combination of odd sounding consonant/vowel combinations that I’ve answered to for almost three years.
A. Mom.
I know I should be happy that my kid(s) are growing up. Becoming more self-sufficient. Able to feed themselves, {kind of} clothe themselves, and OH. EM. GEE even use the potty! And I am, don’t get me wrong. But a small part of me wishes that they could stay little forever. Getting bigger means getting older; and that means lots of other stuff I’m not quite ready to think about yet {see above: girlfriends, cars, graduating}.
It’s so true – what “they” all say – EVERY stage has been my favorite, so far. The cuddles and smells and sounds. The tiny clothes and fingers and toes. Then the chunky legs toddling around the house in a saggy diaper.
I used to wonder what people found so interesting about kids, once they outgrew the adorable baby stage. Now I know. The adorable “just doing my job, mommy” response when I thank him for taking his plate to the sink. The “no, I can do it” when I offer to help him climb up into the car. The “all by myself” that seems to be every other phrase, lately.
It’s kind of a daunting idea, really, that we’re responsible for how another human grows up. We are in charge of shaping them, guiding them, praising and coaching them. To be sweet, to be kind, to be generous, to be respectful, to be…the list goes on and on. It’s hard, but it’s great.
The saying goes something like – the days are long but the years are short. It’s so true about raising children. It’s such a wild ride and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Especially since he is big enough to do the dishes now!
YEP. I remember the first time Jonah called me “mom”. I was like. WAIT. NO. Stop. SAD!!
Love this. It’s so true & it goes by so fast! I love finding things to enjoy and hang onto in every season. But thankfully there are just enough things that are challenging and make me ready to move on to the next one… In due time.
I am the proud mom of this blogger and her words are spot on. It’s hard to move from phases to phase of being a mom sometimes, but the joy of seeing you kids grow up is truly my favorite thing in the world! It’s hard to believe that my baby now has babies of her own. Thanks Knoxville Mom’s Blog for your outstanding writing, news and information! Wish we had this when I was raising Julie and her sisters!
Very true. This article made me reach over and grab my 2 week old and snuggle him up. It goes too fast
Oh my! It’s like you read my mind! I constantly have all of these same thoughts. It all goes by so fast!