A New Chapter

I seem to be surrounded by pregnant ladies or those who just recently gave birth.  First babies, second, third.  Real life friends and online buddies.  I swear something is being pumped into the water.

I love all things baby.  I love their sweet newborn smell and the way they curl up and sleep on your chest.  I love the tiny little clothes and impossibly small newborn diapers.  And as rough as my pregnancies were, I also loved the ever growing belly and the sweet baby kicks from within.

It seems my entire Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds is filled with pregnancy bumps and those sweet newborn shots.  I love each one, seeing families grow bigger by a person, bigger in love.  It makes me remember the days of a baby moving inside me, those precious first moments of bringing home a new member of the family.

But that chapter of our family has been closed.  Our little family is now complete.  There won't be any new babies brought home.  And even more than that, we've moved passed the baby stage completely in this house.   No more diapers or bottles.  No more pacis or burp clothes.  I can't shop in the baby clothes section anymore...I'm barely even buying toddler stuff anymore!

I would be lying if I said this all didn't make me just a tiny bit sad...to be all done with babies.  As I said, I loved the baby stage.  It's also strange since most people I know are just beginning, or in the middle of this baby stage.  I almost feel a bit left out as I join the more veteran moms who have rid their houses of pacifiers and diapers.  But this new preschool / toddlerhood stage we're in?  It's pretty awesome too.

There's a freedom as our girls start to get a bit older.  Freedom to leave the house with just a purse holding a few snacks.  Freedom to sit for just a moment and sip my coffee while they play together.  Freedom to spontaneously leave the house on a whim with a low-chance of a meltdown by someone.

It's a little easier to go out to a restaurant as a family or run errands.  And as they grow, it is just amazing to watch their little personalities come out.  We can have real conversations about our day during dinner and I don't have to feed anyone.  They mostly sleep through the night, and can brush their own teeth.  Not only are they old enough to help clean up a bit, but they actually want to {yes, I know this stage will last 5 minutes before they refuse to clean up again}

The other day I brought the girls outside to play and sat down in a chair to watch them.  You know how long I was able to sit?  Two hours.  Seriously, they just played with each other for two straight hours while I read a book.  In the middle of the day!!  That may rival baby snuggles for their level of awesomeness.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not all rainbows and sunshine over here.  With the independence comes a lot of but why questions and arguing their point.  We've had a decent amount of foot stomping and Charlie's not out of the tantrum phase yet.  There are days I fall into bed just as worn out and exhausted as I did during the sleepless newborn stage.  But overall?  It's good, it's so so good.

So even though it's okay for me to mourn the baby stage for a moment whenever I see a sweet snuggly baby on Instagram, I'm learning I'm really not sad that phase of life is over.  Sure, it was awesome and amazing while it lasted.  But don't be afraid of this new big kid stage.  Cause from where I'm standing, it's pretty fabulous.