How many times have you heard the phrase, “I want a baby” uttered? Or how often has someone asked to hold your baby or told you how sweet your baby is? Baby fever is all over (especially when you are trying to have one yourself). I remember the days of holding friends’ babies, while longing for children of my own. The one thing that didn’t cross my mind at the time, while smelling those sweet newborns and kissing those squishy cheeks, was how short of a time period a baby is actually a baby.
When my twins were born, life was chaos (to say the least). I loved those itty bitty babies so much, but with the constant routine of feeding, burping, changing, dressing, napping, repeat, there was sadly little time for me to just sit back and enjoy them. The few times they actually both fell asleep in my arms were sacred moments, and I did NOTHING else but hold them for as long as they let me. Through the sleep deprivation fog, the nights seemed endless, while the days and weeks flew by. In no time, they were becoming more independent and life was less of a blur. 
Around six months, I realized they no longer seemed like “babies” anymore. Visitors came over to “hold babies,” but they no longer wanted to just be held. They had an agenda. With each passing day, they continued to learn and grow, while I realized I didn’t have “babies” anymore. It was a little hard to stomach since I had longed for a baby for so long. As much as I loved (and continue to love) each of their stages, a part of me was sad to be done with the baby phase. In reality, I know they were still little at six months, but as cliche as it sounds, they really do grow fast.
I went through the baby experience again with my now ten month old. He is growing exponentially compared to his sisters so it feels like we have had even less time with a baby. I knew time would fly this time around and really tried to soak it up (as much as possible with two-year-old toddlers as well). My daughters noticed the changes in him right away, too, when he started getting into their stuff. When he attempted to play with one of their favorite toys, one of my daughters told me, matter of factly, to lay him back on the blanket. She knew that worked in the past but didn’t quite realize how his mobility worked these days.
Recently, I saw our little neighbor out the window playing outside while we ate dinner. He is about three months older than my son. This was the first time I had seen this boy walking, and it made me emotional as I reflected on my own family. I realized that will be my little guy in no time. He is growing way too fast and is definitely not a baby anymore. I’m thankful for his development and where he’s at, but again, it makes me mourn his babyhood a little.
My sister and I used to joke about raising kids. Her children were teenagers while I was still dreaming of being a mom. She used to tell me about the trials and tribulations of teaching them to drive, curfews, raising boys vs. girls, etc. and how she would go back to the baby stage in a heartbeat. It made us realize that you never hear someone say “I want to potty train a child,” “I want to teach a child to drive,” or “I want to discuss tough subjects with a child” before they have children. All of those things are so crucial, yet we generally focus on such a short period of time – the baby phase – hearing “I want a baby.” Of course, snuggling a baby is so much more enjoyable than giving yourself high blood pressure while riding with your teenage driver, but luckily for most parents, you get to experience both! So, snuggle those babies as long as they will let you. Those snuggles will most likely help you get through the tough times ahead with your sweet little ones.
