Adventures with 2 Girls

Two things have happened recently which has made me feel slightly dazed at the speed in which Lily is growing up: first, my sister pointed out that her oldest, Austin, is 9 years old and therefore halfway done with his time spent living at home. This fact is unbelievable to me. As the first nephew (or niece) that I ever had, his arrival and his babyhood is something that I will always remember. I loved visiting or babysitting him and remember whole days when I got to keep him while my sister and her husband went to football games. The first time I babysat him, he was just a baby, and we were in Greenville and I pushed him in his stroller all over our area of town. He never would take a nap for me, but he would cuddle with me. He couldn't talk or walk yet and he had cradle cap. I remember because I called my sister asking what the buttery substance was on his head. I then remember keeping him and Anna after she was born and Austin was a sweet toddler. We watched submarine videos together because that's what he was fascinated with at the time. I knew so little about babies at that point that I put Anna to sleep in her baby bath-tub. I can't comprehend that half of the time before he leaves for college is over. What happened?!? Where did that baby with cradle cap or that boat-loving toddler go? When did the time start to go by so quickly?

The second thing is that Allison and Anna were over today. They are almost exactly a year younger than Lily. It blows my mind to know that it's been a whole year since Lily was doing those things that they are doing now. It feels like it was just last month. And next year, who knows what Lily will be doing?

Yesterday, I was rearranging some things we have on the bookshelf in Lily's room. One of them is a figurine of a mom holding her daughter who is probably about five years old. I got it as a gift when I was pregnant with Lily. My mom said to me "Before you know it, Lily will be that age." I sort of thought she was nuts! And yet, today I was talking about Lily's third birthday party. I know it's still a long way away, but the fact I am even thinking about it is crazy. Her third birthday?!? It feels like just yesterday that I was bringing her home from the hospital with no idea what was in-store for me. She cried almost the whole night the first night home and that was over two years ago.

I need someone to tell me how to make time stand still. Or how to remember everything, every detail, every cute thing she does, every look, every mispronounced word, everything about this age. I used to feel happy with each passing month, each milestone. She was such a difficult baby that I was ready to be far away from colic, crying, reflux, torticollis, constant medical appointments, etc. I certainly don't long for those days again, but I am so enjoying these days, despite the temper tantrums and the complete refusal to behave when it actually matters, that I am now feeling sad as she gets older and figures out how to say things and do things for herself. I love the piece from Anna Quindlen below. Unlike her I do feel sorrow from time to time that she is no longer my baby and that if you ask her if she's a baby, she responds "No, I'm a girl." I just want to find a way to hold on to or at least remember these days forever. Before I know it, she'll be 9 years old and I'll be thinking she's halfway done at home. My mom would probably add that then before you know, she'll be having her own babies.