Friday, August 19, 2011

Growing

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It has been an emotional week.  And I'm not even talking about our little trip to the ER.
First of all, Grace turned two years old.  It may not seem like that big of a deal but it is to me.  I've never had a two year old without also having a newborn or a baby on the way.  Not only that, but Grace seems to be such a grown up two year old.  There really are few traces of babyhood left.
Second, Grace is fully potty trained.  While it is a very joyous event it just drives home how quickly my family is growing up and changing. 
Third, and the biggest change, is that Grace has moved to a big girl bed.  Since I have no more babies to speak of that means we had to take down the crib.  It literally made me nauseous.  As I was taking her baby bedding out of the crib I couldn't hold back the tears any longer.  I just can't believe it has all gone this quickly.  My boys came in the room and saw us taking the crib apart and they started to whine and cry about how much they'll miss having a baby to put in the crib.  I begged them to stop talking about it but they just kept telling me, "But all of us have used that crib!  I was a baby in there and now we don't have any more babies!"  Eventually I had to kick them out of the room to keep myself from falling apart. 
Luckily, the girl LOVED her new bed.  It made the whole emotional debacle much more enjoyable.
She wanted to go to bed right away and it wasn't even dinnertime yet.
Seeing how much she enjoys these big changes definitely makes them easier to handle.  She is so proud of what a big girl she is becoming.  She is so proud of her new bed.  And she even lets the boys come up on her pretty new bed to snuggle with her in the morning. 
It has been an emotional week.  I no longer have a baby in my house.  Soon school will be starting and our days will really be moving at warp speed.  I'll have a third grader, a first grader, a preschooler, and a two year old.  Our days will be overflowing. 

My family is growing up.  So quickly.  But while I have been emotional about it I also have a bit of peace too.  My kiddos are growing up.  Just as they should be.  And though I may not like how quickly it is going by I sure am lucky to be a part of it. 

19 comments:

Cyndy Bush said...

Aww, this made me tear up! It just goes by too fast.
I LOVE her new bed & bedding!

Tabor said...

I find it sweet that your little boys want a baby in the house forever!!

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness, you sure are pulling my heart strings with this one since K is right behind her!

And is that bedding from Target?? I've passed down the kids bedding aisle once or twice and that looks somewhat familiar but I know PB has a line that is similar too... Anyway, just curious.

That pic of them all lying in her bed together is just too sweet!!!

Kat said...

Elaine- Yep. The set was from Target. I did a massive search online to find a set that would go with her peach walls and that didn't cost a fortune. This was a bed in a bag set and I was shocked at how inexpensive it was. Awesome. I got an ADORABLE matching lamp too. She loves it. :)

historygirl said...

Misty eyed here too. We're moving our 14 month old into a bed sooner than later because of the next baby on the way in a few weeks....she's getting booted out in favor of the baby. :) I was a bawling mess when our then 2 year old went into a big girl bed, so I can't imagine putting my current "baby" into a big girl bed.

I may need to be sedated. :)

Kat said...

Jayne- Maybe you could keep the new baby in a pack n play or a bassinet or something so the lil one (and you) can have a little more time in the crib before the transition to a big girl bed. Maybe that would make you feel a little more relaxed about it all. Whatever is easiest for you because you have your hands FULL! In a fabulous way! :)

I never really had a big problem taking my others out of the crib because I always had another baby to put in the crib. But no babies left. That just seems CRAZY to me.

*sigh*

Hilary said...

No matter how they grow up, they remain babies forever, to their mom. My babies are 21 and 24 now.. and one is entirely independent. They're still my babies. But I know how you feel. I hated the day I took down the crib too. And in retrospect, I was relieved that breastfeeding tapered off slowly because had I known that the last time I nursed each of them was the last time, I would have sobbed my way through it.

Rima said...

Oh, that is so tough. But they get so interesting as they grow older. And soon you'll be able to go clothes shopping together!

P.S. The V-meister has that same bedding! It's so cute, isn't it?

Mel said...

Oh Kat...I know the feeling so well. This week? Claire started Kindergarten..which means for the first time in...over 8 years? I didn't have anyone to make lunch for...or answer a million questions for...or just collect a hug from because I needed one. The house is far to quiet. Enjoy every single moment...

Kelly said...

I love her in her bed...and her brothers cuddling in it with her is the icing on the cake. So sweet. All of those "lasts" are so hard to say goodbye to. I have loved every stage we have gone through and look forward to many more but I have so many days where I wish I could rewind and relive certain parts.....the little stages never last long enough.

Love her new bedding too! I'm an owl girl.

Scrappy said...

I got all teary-eyed reading about taking the crib down. Only 6 more months until Buttercup will be out of hers. :'( So sad!
I love the big girl bedding, and that the boys all come to snuggle her in the morning. Big brothers are the best!!

painted maypole said...

potty trained and in a big girl bed by TWO????? with three big brothers.

Hello, mother of the year.

Emily said...

Awe, she looks so teeny in that big bed!
I totally know what you mean. My baby turns 3 in a few weeks and I am really missing all the sweet baby things I've had to say goodbye too.

lime said...

yep, me too. i'm sending my second off three hours away from home for the next chapter in hr life. though it wasn't so hard to send the first one this second child is much harder to say goodbye to. i think partly because she spent last year so sick and now that shes doing better i want to enjoy the healthy her for a while longer.

Mom24 said...

I understand completely. It's hard to let go of that stage, isn't it? Even though it's incredibly hard sometimes. I'm having a hard time having an 8 year old and no babies on the horizon (yet thanking God for the negative pregnancy test last week), it's the first time I've had kids this age and no little ones. Why does life have to speed by?

Lisa said...

oh I understand every ounce of this, Kat! Except for I haven't done the big girl bed move, or the potty training.....and I'm just not working all that hard on the big girl stuff! She does looks so sweet & grown up though!
Hugs to you!

Lindsay said...

I SO hear ya on this. It just goes by WAY too fast! Yay on the potty training and yay on the big girl bed though!! Addie has the same sheets :-) Happy Birthday Grace!

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

Man..you were *just* pregnant with her! I can't believe it.

Is she actually potty trained at night, too? I'm jealous of that one!

Kat said...

Krystyn- No, no. She isn't potty trained at night. She wears a pullup at night. ;)

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Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

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