*Mom is back by popular demand, because I've been (you guessed it) shooting and traveling, so thanks "Mom" for your contribution!*
Do you know what a contagion is? It describes what a drill team does when the first girl throws her hands in the air and just slightly after, each girl behind her does the same, until the motion is completed by everyone. It’s similar to what happens when you push down the first domino in a carefully set up pattern of dominos.
This is a perfect metaphor for Benjamin’s development. He’s not only doing new things, but each new thing leads to a subsequent new thing that seems to happen in quick succession. At the beginning of the month, Benjamin’s first tooth broke through. Less than two weeks later, a second tooth appeared. A couple days after that, I was giving Benjamin “tummy time” and he rolled over onto his back. In the time it took for me to call Dale and my mom, he had rolled back over from his back to his tummy, completely unassisted. The grin on his face after doing this seemed to say, “Did you just see that??? I’m awesome!!!”
Wow, I feel like everything is going so quickly, and our little boy is growing up fast. And if these things weren’t enough, Friday night, Benjamin emphatically uttered the phrase, “Oh yeah.” He seriously did, I’m not making this up. Dale heard it, too. I know you think we’re just eager parents trying to pass random sounds off as words, but the phrase was so clear. We both just looked at each other in amazement and laughed. I’m not sure why he said this… perhaps he loves Kool-Aid… or perhaps he loves Ferris Bueller’s Day Off… we’ll never know. Regardless, he’s a genius!
These things are met with excitement and a sense of pride. However, strangely enough, an unexpected emotion comes with it. There is a bittersweet feeling that occurs as I watch my little baby grow up. I love all the new things he’s doing and I’m excited for what’s to come, but I also love his sweet “baby-ness" and am not ready to move beyond that just yet. Is it okay for me to forbid him to grow up any more… at least for a few months so I can give each stage a bit more time? I wish I could just press ‘pause’ and enjoy this sweet moment a little longer…
…though I could do without the “nursing with teeth” thing.
1 comment:
Em,
you are so wise to savor each moment...enjoy him, hold him longer, smell him, kiss every part of him ...(well, almost) because one day you will have the kid that runs in the door and asks for a snack before jetting back out the door to play with the neighbor...all without eye contact or any rememberance that you were once his entire life, his first crush. you'll be so glad that you treasured these days.
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