That time when she was 6 weeks old and refused to sleep anywhere but in our bed, I was thinking Little Miss J couldn't grow up fast enough. Those times when I thought my Auntie Lori was coming unhinged for tearing up as her children grew up and started leaving the nest. I take back each and every one of those thoughts. It is true. These little people grow up way. too. fast. While I will not go so far as to suggest stopping the clock, I certainly appreciate each milestone making my life easier in some ways yet harder in others. I want to savor each and every moment with this girl.
Recently, I have been struck by how grown up Little Miss J is. She will run her own bath, wash up, and put her jammies on by herself. She reads to J2 and even got him to nap on the rare weekend we were just lying around the house. She is a really good big sister. In the car she was playing with J2 making him laugh and then says to him, "J2, can you play by yourself for a little bit, Sister needs to talk to mommy and daddy right now." LOL. I guess I've used that line on her once or twice.
She has finally started sleeping by herself. AMEN to that! I only had to loft her bed 4.5 feet off the ground and tolerate two nights of near hysterics. Not ready to do the room reveal yet, so you'll have to wait on the photos for that one.
She is becoming so very independent, which means I need to do (marginally) less for her. She can grab her own snack out of the snack drawer, get a juice box out of the fridge, grab a tortilla, orange, string cheese to munch on, etc. She does her own hair and ties her own shoes. But with this independence comes the realization that some day I will have to let go. I will have to let her use a public restroom by herself, ride in a car driven by her newly licensed friends, give her a cell phone and access to social media. These things frighten me to no end because I will need to find a way to do these things that works for our family and hopefully doesn't make her a total outcast with her friends because I sympathize with the desire to fit in. Having to navigate these waters seems harder to me than functioning on only 4-5 hours of sleep, wiping poopy butts, or being asked to do something every three seconds. I imagine when she's out with friends I won't get much sleep anyhow,waiting for her to come home. I truly do not know how my parents did it. Perhaps Ambien.
But before I get ahead of myself, let's reel it back in. She's five years old. Correction - five and a HALF years old. For the most part she remains at my side on the regular. She tells me everything. Trust me, with the sheer amount of talking she does, there is no way that I don't know EVERYTHING. I know what she watches on her iPad. I know what toys she has or doesn't have. She can't even reach the medicine cabinet to get her own band-aids let alone get into trouble. I still have final veto over attire. And she's actually a really really good, sweet kid. Not a day goes by that she doesn't tell me that I'm the best mommy in the whole world.
I love this little mini me so much. I empathize with her joy, her sadness, her disappointment, her boredom, her apprehensiveness, and most of all her love for her family. These are the days ... to remember. Live in the moment. Know that the days of the constant jabbering and full disclosure will be replaced by sullen teenage angsty-ness. Embrace the enthusiasm that greets you at the door when you arrive home from work and give hugs. Always give hugs. Lots of them. They are powerful. Many times when she's upset all Little Miss J will ask for is a BIG HUG. And I'm always happy to oblige. As she grows up, I hope she will know that I am always here for her no matter what - big hugs and all. My only wish for her is to be healthy, safe, and happy - even when I'm not there to watch over her 24/7.
She has finally started sleeping by herself. AMEN to that! I only had to loft her bed 4.5 feet off the ground and tolerate two nights of near hysterics. Not ready to do the room reveal yet, so you'll have to wait on the photos for that one.
She is becoming so very independent, which means I need to do (marginally) less for her. She can grab her own snack out of the snack drawer, get a juice box out of the fridge, grab a tortilla, orange, string cheese to munch on, etc. She does her own hair and ties her own shoes. But with this independence comes the realization that some day I will have to let go. I will have to let her use a public restroom by herself, ride in a car driven by her newly licensed friends, give her a cell phone and access to social media. These things frighten me to no end because I will need to find a way to do these things that works for our family and hopefully doesn't make her a total outcast with her friends because I sympathize with the desire to fit in. Having to navigate these waters seems harder to me than functioning on only 4-5 hours of sleep, wiping poopy butts, or being asked to do something every three seconds. I imagine when she's out with friends I won't get much sleep anyhow,waiting for her to come home. I truly do not know how my parents did it. Perhaps Ambien.
But before I get ahead of myself, let's reel it back in. She's five years old. Correction - five and a HALF years old. For the most part she remains at my side on the regular. She tells me everything. Trust me, with the sheer amount of talking she does, there is no way that I don't know EVERYTHING. I know what she watches on her iPad. I know what toys she has or doesn't have. She can't even reach the medicine cabinet to get her own band-aids let alone get into trouble. I still have final veto over attire. And she's actually a really really good, sweet kid. Not a day goes by that she doesn't tell me that I'm the best mommy in the whole world.
I love this little mini me so much. I empathize with her joy, her sadness, her disappointment, her boredom, her apprehensiveness, and most of all her love for her family. These are the days ... to remember. Live in the moment. Know that the days of the constant jabbering and full disclosure will be replaced by sullen teenage angsty-ness. Embrace the enthusiasm that greets you at the door when you arrive home from work and give hugs. Always give hugs. Lots of them. They are powerful. Many times when she's upset all Little Miss J will ask for is a BIG HUG. And I'm always happy to oblige. As she grows up, I hope she will know that I am always here for her no matter what - big hugs and all. My only wish for her is to be healthy, safe, and happy - even when I'm not there to watch over her 24/7.
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