My Blossoming Toddler

The last month or two has had several moments in which I am taken aback at my eldest daughter. She is growing up so quickly, looking more and more like a little girl. She babbles in tones of voice that sound like she is having an adult conversation, and acts like a little mom to her baby sister. She wants to help clear away the dishes after dinner and pick out her own clothes. I look at her and think, "she's not a baby anymore!" Sometimes this makes me a little nostalgic; I wish she could always be my baby.

I think every parent goes through this dilemma at various stages in their child's development. We are proud of them, excited for them to learn new things, become independent, discover their own talents and abilities and blossom into wonderful young adults. And at the same time we miss their dependence on us, the complete trust and adoration they had for us when they were babies. We fondly remember times before they required discipline or boundaries.

So when my sister-in-law gave me this little outfit (size: 6-9 mos. - I could tell it was still going to be too big for my baby for a while), I couldn't resist trying to fit my toddler into it. And she fit, barely. The hubby and I had some big giggles watching her parade around in this, admiring herself in the mirror and showing off to everyone. It made her look so little and chubby, and perhaps because we were oohing and ahhing over her, she dropped her "big girl" persona for a little while, just enjoying the masquerade. If only for a little while, she was our baby again.