Those tiny little baby boy bodies that couldn't get close enough to me? Who would calm in a breath as soon as I held them close? Who needed us for everything? How have they transformed into these frenetic, chaotic, independent, LOUD little men who literally careen off of the furniture, walls, and each other? With every new skill, new step toward self actualization, each epiphany; they move away in infinitesimally small ways... which is a chance for the parent to revel in, to celebrate ~ and mourn all in the same breath.
I'm all weepy, introspective, waxing poetic and philosophical over a crib. We took it apart. LB has been in the bunk bed, sharing a room with BB for a month. So, we finally over-rode the maternal emotional inertia and dismantled it. Aside from the ever-present diaper pail (a future milestone I feel sure will ONLY bring celebration, without any nostalgia from me), there are so very few vestiges of the babies they were. And I WANT that, of course. Watching them grow is pure magic. The thrill of their synapses wrapping around something new is such a primal, elemental delight for us. They make us laugh every single day. It just astounds me how quickly it has happened. Yes, I know, everyone I know (and people I didn't) all told me it would go so quickly. Clearly the only thing in the history of my life in which everyone agreed, and got right.
The good news, of course, is that for those who want to visit us, the spare room where the crib resided until this week is a lot more user friendly. You don't have to circumnavigate the crib as soon as you enter the door, and you can get in and out of the bed from EITHER SIDE. I know, crazy, right? The changing pad is gone, so there is room on top of the dresser for a few things. One might be able to complete an entire weekend visit to us without having to play where-is-there-an-outlet-for my-cell-phone-charger-and-where-did-I-leave-it? So, we have THAT going for us, which is nice.
So, we forge on, amazed and excited, astounded, and occasionally wistful on this adventure. What a ride. Come visit ~ if you dare!
