These babies in the photo below are Zoe (small) and Charlie (big). They are my girls. My infant massage dolls…. I’ll be able to keep them that size forever.
Not the case with my boys– my real boys. They are turning 12 and 10 years this spring. It’s hard to believe! I remember when they were as small as my dolls– well, as small as Charlie. Zoe is a pre-term baby doll, so she is especially little… My boys took their time and were each nearly 8 lbs!
I’m finding every stage of child development and parenthood to be equally amazing and challenging. There are moments I’d rather not re-live, though I’m sure we all learned something from them. And there are plenty of moments I’d like to re-play over and over… adorable quotes, intense facial expressions, loving hugs, clear signs, beautiful voices, special smiles…
Zeke signed (approximated) “I love you” at only 6 months old! He asked for “more music” (in ASL) at 10 months when his mobile stopped. Between 12 – 15 months he began putting sentences together in sign. As a baby/toddler he loved flowers and still appreciates beauty, nature, gentleness. Zeke loves tickling me and telling me to “laugh until you cry!” He volunteers with animals at the Humane Society and suggested a good book for me to read when my father died. He’s a wonderful guitar player, loves classic movies and good books, he’s a really good brother…
Sian’s key phrases when he began to talk were “Don’t do that” to Zeke, and “Bye mama, love you” to me. At 13 months, he was reading out loud (in ASL) while sitting on the floor with a book… he saw Elmo in the book eating an apple and signed apple. Then he toddled to the fridge, requested an apple in sign, and brought it back to his book to continue reading about Elmo eating an apple. Sian is a fantastic drummer, a strong athlete, an animal whisperer, and has a great sense of humor…
Feel free to read my Mother’s Journal on my website for more stories and memories: https://mybabyfingers.com/staging/9114/our-story
I encourage all parents to keep a journal–write things down, you’ll be happy you took a few moments so the memories last even longer. Photos are so easy to take now, with most cell phones having cameras–and easy to share with digital uploads and e-mail.
We all seem to look ahead so often– applying to preschool when our kids are only a year old, planning holidays months in advance, scheduling meetings at work, preparing for presentations or business trips… that’s all important, of course, but I know I need reminders now and then to just savor each moment. To soak up the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings related to each memory. To put down my blackberry and hold my son’s hand. To put all the electronics away and turn off all the screens to play a family board game. To just sit together and share the moments.