How many times do you hear it? "Wow, they grow up so fast."
"Enjoy this part of their life," parents of older children say. "They only grow up once."
Luckily for us, my wife and I are doing that as best we can. We're watching. Listening. Enjoying.
And just when you think you're going through the motions of another mundane evening, trying to corral your wild, headstrong, running child into her bed, she'll do something you've never seen her do before. Something that makes you realize how far she has come. Something that while insignificant to the casual observer, is in fact very significant to you because you are with her every step of the way.
They make progress without even noticing. So we as parents have to notice. We have to remark, document, and congratulate... without making too much of it.
Wrong shoes... wrong feet |
Stairs aren't a problem anymore |
Sometimes she just doesn't care and mismatches anyway.
And now, what once seemed like a tall task, an impossible mission, an unconquerable obstacle, is in the rearview mirror.
I can't count how many times my daughter has asked for help when she's wanted to get up and jump on our bed. Every time. All the time. Too many times to count. How many times did she ask for help when she wanted to get off the bed? Every time. All the time. Too many times to count.
"Help" and "Up" were soon replaced by "Go up there," then "On the bed, please." Every time, all the time, too many times to count I would say, "you can do it... go ahead." And every time, all the time, too many times to count I would give her a little push on her butt to get her over the top. Why are our beds so high off the ground, anway?
Climbing on furniture is second nature now |
I was so happy, so sad, so excited... I nearly freaked out.
Moving upward and onward |
What will she not need my help with next? |
They grow up so fast.
Whose standards say that blue stripes and green polka dots don't match? I say anything goes if you like it - all your own.
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