Thursday, September 11, 2014

Bye bye baby

Today I had a small garage sale. Most of it is gone, but I had a few remnants of babyhood left in my basement. A bouncy seat, a boppy, a few bins of clothes, and some blankets were left. It was long time coming. These were the bits I had held on to "just in case".  Although I "feel done" there is that little piece of me that holds the hopes or memories of the sweet smell of newborn. A dear friend came over this afternoon with her sweet baby boy. I went down to the basement and pulled out a bag I'd secretly been hiding away. You mommas know that bag. The one with the favorite outfits from your babes. The ones that kept making the cut every time you sorted out each size. This bag had so many memories. I pulled each outfit out to give to my sweet friend. Each one that my babies wore when they were so small.  So perfect. Oh gracious, I can almost smell that baby head smell.

My boys now are so big. I realize it will only get worse. Soon I will look up to them. Tonight they all came down in their footie pajamas. Oh how I love those footie PJs. Since it is feeling more and more like fall around here I made an apple pie for dessert. So they each got a slice of pie and were allowed to stay up late to watch a little bit of football.

It was the strangest thing to watch these little boys shouting at the TV like grown men yet wearing footie pajamas. They are getting big. I have rid the house of all "baby stuff". We are moving into a world of sports and video games. We are moving out of a stage that seemed like it would never end. The diaper bags are a thing of the past. My trunk doesn't have a stroller in it. We don't have a highchair in our dining room. My living room doesn't have a bouncy seat, swing, or exersaucer. Those days were long. The feeding, the changing, the crying, seemed endless. But the weeks were fast. the months flew by, and now the years seem like only moments ago.

This new stage is a whole new kind of hard. There is scheduling, schooling, playing referee, and managing of chores. But I am seeing these awesome little people emerging out of those sweet little babies. I'm seeing future men who will change the world. I get a glimpse of those nerve wracking teenage years coming sooner than I'd like. I love the conversations I am having with these rough and tumble football loving boys. I love seeing their brains working as they are learning like crazy. I'm so blessed to be their mama. Even though saying good bye to the baby is a little sad. It is so exciting to see who these precious kiddos are going to be.