TRADE IN

My baby turns two in a few hours. It's making me a little crazy in the head, to say the least. I'm leaving the "baby" stage with a bitter-sweet taste as I'm already deep into the terrible two's with Rider. You could easily call the stage I'm in  - denial. Total denial that my boys aren't babies anymore. I'm certain I'll still refer to them as such, so don't be annoyed... it's a coping mechanism. The past two years have been the hardest, most challenging years of my life and it's really hard not to feel like I've missed out on  the greatness of raising two babies. I've tried to stop and smell the roses, but it's a lot easier to close your eyes, hold on for dear life, and forget about the scary parts. Two bouncing baby boys came hurling into my life and rocked my world. I miss snuggling newborn yumminess, I miss bottles, and baby bath chairs... I miss sleeping babies in my arms at church, swaddling, and bouncing and everything in between. I don't miss doing it with two babies at once and I've happily traded many of those things in for equally great tasks. I now enjoy hearing "good night mommy" and "wuv you too." I've traded bottles of formula for endless sippy cups of apple juice, sleeping church babies with nursery church babies, swaddling for tucking in and dance parties. With each birthday ticking by like a clocks hands, baby stages are being cashed in and the trade for toddlerhood is among us . Soon enough it will be backpacks and sack lunches and I'm positive I'll miss this super hard toddler phase. So I'm trying with all my might to see past the tantrums and time outs and focus on the fun loving wild boys nipping at my ankles.
So tomorrow we'll celebrate! I'll try to nitpick less and play more... and remind myself that I am blessed with three miracle babies and one day I'll miss this crazy stage.