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I Wasn't Ready

I did’t see it coming. I had ignored the glaring warning signs. I thought I had time. 

The other day I was walking down the hall, and I turned to see it behind me, following me… A LITTLE GIRL. 

Olive was following me to the bathroom, and when I glanced back at her, I was shocked. The saying I have heard so many times became truth right before my eyes. They really do grow up too fast! So fast, one day you don’t even recognize them.

At that moment, I didn’t see my chubby baby.
I saw a tall lanky girl.

I didn’t see sparse red fuzz on her little round head.
I saw a mass of messy strawberry locks.

I didn’t hear coos and giggles and baby jabber. 
I clearly heard and understood, “Wait Mom. I need to use the potty too.”

She was suddenly not a baby anymore. She had become a kid! It had seemingly happened over night. 

Apparently, when I normally look at my girls, I must choose to see them as my cute little babies and refuse to see these big girls that they are becoming. They still often whine and fight and keep me up at night and get needy and need time out. It usually feels like they are VERY slowly growing into big girls who use the potty and don’t need all their food cut into tiny cubes and say “Have a good day. Love you. Bye.” when I drop them off at daycare. As I sit on the couch with them right now and run my fingers through the tangled hair on their feverish heads, they seem so fragile and helpless. 

I still see my babies when I look at their sweet faces. So, I was incredibly surprised to look at this kid in my hallway. She was beautiful and sweet and full of joy. For a fraction of a moment, I caught a glimpse of an even taller, older, sweeter girl with an even bigger mass of red curls. 

I can’t wait to see Olive grow up, but this encounter taught me something about that girl. She is growing up fast, even when I don’t take notice. I’m going to enjoy these kids while I’ve got them, because who knows… one day I may be walking down the street and look back to see a couple of laughing, curly-haired, beautiful YOUNG LADIES! (Insert terrified emoji)


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