The End of an Era

Ok, so technically, it’s not really the end.  It’s more like the signs are pointing towards its coming, and well, it makes me sad.

 

What on earth am I talking about, you may be asking.  Well, it’s just this:  On Tuesday, Elijah started walking!

 

Over the last 2 weeks or so, he’s (on rare occassions) let go of what he was holding onto and taken 1, maybe 2, steps.  But he was really wobbly and unsteady and preferred to crawl.  But then, on Tuesday afternoon I was getting him dressed after a bath (he’d been outside happily rolling in the mud).  I stood him up to pull up his pants and then he just stayed standing and then he saw a balloon on the floor and just started walking toward it.  He passed up the 3 and 4 step marks and hit 5 or 6 before he wobbled and fell down.  I (being the great mom that I am) jumped up to grab the camera to capture his next “first steps” again.  Of course, he then had the balloon and refused to even stand up.  So I had to give up.  But later in the afternoon, he was standing, holding onto a chair when Justin came in.  Elijah let go of the chair and walked (like 8 steps or so) over to Justin!

 

That was the beginning of the end.  The rest of the afternoon/evening he just walked all over the place.  He’d still crash down at times, but we’d all cheer for him and he thought it was a great game.  Two days later, he still crawls around, but more and more he’s doing that precious waddling, unsteady walking around the house.

 

As I was at the sink on Tuesday evening (doing dishes or some such) I had this strong feeling of sadness come over me as I watched him, siblings encouraging and cheering, waddle around.  It was so cute and precious, so why was I feeling sad?

 

That’s when I realized just how bittersweet it was.  For over the last 10 years of my life I have always had a baby around.  (ok, 2 or under)  But I’m quickly nearing the point where I will no longer have any babies in the house.  Granted, that is still a little ways off – there is weaning, and getting E to sleep through the night (which, with my babies doesn’t tend to happen until 1 ½ years, or they are weaned), and potty training.  And Elijah isn’t even 1 yet (T-minus-12 days till that important event!).  But it was just hitting me that his babyhood is flying by.  I’ll probably only have a few more days of these wobbly, unsteady first steps, and then he’ll be off and running and crawling will be a thing of the past.

 

I wish I could just take these precious moments and freeze them to pull out later:  babies with cute, toothless grins.  sleeping with their diapered bum sticking up in the air.  chubby, roly-poly thighs.  adorable baby chattering.  I guess that’s what my camera is for, but I know as time goes by I’ll forget exactly what it was like.  Already, it’s hard to remember some of the details of how Kaitlyn, Nathan and even Justin were at this age.  I can go back and look at movies, but it’s not quite the same.

 

But I’m glad that my kids are growing and maturing (not always as quickly as I would want!).  It’s fun to see Kaitlyn learn how to play the flute, or Justin excel in his reading.  I’m sad to think that before too very long the era of babyhood in our house will be gone, but there will be new, exciting other eras I’ll get to enjoy.