Little People

My youngest child will be 4 in a few days. I must admit I'm a little sad that I don't have a little baby or toddler around anymore. I look at her every day and I am in awe at what a little lady she is becoming. She is smarter, and funnier, and cuter and sweeter with each passing day. Each day she gets a little older, a little more sure of her place in the world around her. Each day her big brothers are accomplishing, learning, asking, leading, helping, and living more maturely than the day before. I am learning new things about their personalities, dreams, and gifts.

With the sadness comes immense joy at seeing my little girl become a little lady, and my little boys become bigger boys. With that joy, I'm also experiencing some relief, a little reprieve if you will, after living through "Parenting Small Children: Intense Mode," for about 6 years. It occurs to me in the little things, like helping them brush their teeth, or realizing that they ALL just used the restroom and it took literally ZERO assistance on my part.

So here's my top ten list of Marvelous Happenings of Babies becoming Little People:
1) There is no more wondering or guessing at what particular thing is plaguing them at the moment. They can articulate it perfectly loud and clear!
2) They really can all use the restroom without assistance, which means as the parent you are no longer responsible for every. bodily. function. 24 hours a day.
3) They can all reach the bathroom sink without a stool.
4) When you arrive at your destination, you only have to unbuckle one seat belt: your own; they can do their own themselves!
5) When you talk about Santa, Jesus, presents, and prayer, they finally "get it."
6) No more diapers.
7) You can leave the house without bringing the whole house with you "just in case."
8) You start to realize that wishing away the tough moments will only make the good ones go by faster, so you slow down and live in that moment.
9) Bedtime stories, songs, and cuddles stop being part of the every day "have-to" routine, because you realize that all too soon you'll blink and they won't need those anymore.
10) When one of these growing-every-day precious little people grabs your hand, you realize how much bigger that hand is, how much taller they stand. You thank the Lord, and you hold that little hand. hoping that the day they'll be "too big to hold" will stay away for the moment.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel of bottles and feedings and night wakings, of crying and whining, begging and pleading. Right now I just want time to stand still for a little while, but since it won't, I want to linger on these moments and enjoy my little people before they are taller than me :)