It was like most Oregon fall days- dark and dreary, but this is where the normalcy ends. Kaden stayed with “Amama” Glover for his monthly overnight. Ashton slept in a crib. He slept until 6:00am. This is two hours past his normal wakeup hour. As the day continued more and more developments unfolded. It is as though in one day my baby is gone.
Sure, he finally sleeps in until a normal waking hour and one would think I would be more grateful. I have been asking for a later wakeup, but I now realize I must be careful what I ask for. I didn’t know that when the 4am cries disappeared, so is my baby. He army crawls. He has such power behind his arm and torso it is astounding. He has been crawling like this for months and I am still surprised at how fast he gets from A to B.
Today, he climbed the stairs. He made it to the second stair and with all his might was trying to make it up to the third stair. He huffs, grunts and sighs. He screams with delight and excitement as he tries to climb up to meet Adam and I. We are both stunned to see he has made it up the flight so quickly. I of course tell him that is a no-no. And like his two-year-old brother ignores me and goes back again and again. He is determined to be up where all the packing action is.
As I am packing up the master bedroom I hear cheerleading and applause. I kept about my packing. I run down to ask a question. I learn that he just crawled on all fours in front of Curt, Cheryl and Adam. What? He did? I guess all that army crawling is for the babies. He is moving on… literally. I don’t acknowledge it. I cannot. I have to keep my head focused on my mission: packing. I cannot think about the fact my baby is gone.
His eye to mouth coordination is fantastic. He gobbled his peas and avocado at dinner tonight. I think he landed food in the target more times than Kade. He cleared his tray. I watched him and it was as if he didn’t need me, my fork and hand. All he needed was more food in front of him. He was eating dinner unassisted and all alone. His little grunt was my queue for more food.
He likes to wiggle out of my arms to explore on the ground. He goes from place to place in the living room. He is pulling himself up with balancing himself on hearth, laundry basket and anything else he can balance himself. If you ask me, Ashton is getting a little too bigheaded. I mean a crawler one hour doesn’t mean a walker the next. I understand parents are supposed to lend support and optimism, but sometimes ya gotta bring the man down! I am not above sharing that I am not ready to see him out grow the baby stage.
As if this day couldn’t get any worse.
We go to the mall for a little (when I write little I mean 15 minutes little as it was a nightmare!) time trick-or-treating. We are leaving and I am placing him into his seat. He is sitting straight up and down in his reclined baby carrier. He was fighting me as I was trying to place him back to back. He was getting fussy and pushing back. I had to actually use more force than one should have. Again, another sign he is paying close attention to his two-year-old brother.
I am all for my boys to develop. I want both of my sons to explore, challenge, study and discover self, things, places and etc. I just didn’t prepare to see so much development in one day! He was here last night and gone tonight. Who wants to lose their baby in one day? As I write this I watch him sleep in his swing and listen to his sweet little snore. I see him cuddled up in a baby blanket and hold myself back from grabbing and clinging to him. I cannot hold him back forever. And I cannot cling to him to bring comfort.
He cannot always be my infant wrapped and swaddled in my arms. He will not go on nursing from a bottle. He will not forever smile with only gums. Diapers will not continue to remain on my market list. He will not be my tiny guy for all eternity. But one thing I do recognize is that regardless of how quickly he develops and walks into life he was blessed as my baby as he is my youngest. Since I am told he is the last he will be my baby for all eternity.
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