What I'll Miss About Babies

My last child recently turned one. She's toddling around and quickly becoming a kid.
I have nooo desire to have a fifth (heaven help me), but there are some things I'll miss about babies:

1. When you try to wash your older child's face they squish up their noses and turn their head away from you. You end up having to put them in a headlock to get the job done. When you wash your baby's face they follow the cloth around with their little tongue trying to get a taste.

2. While I was swaying my baby to sleep the other night, I noticed she still has baby smell. I wonder for how long. It's not the baby products because she hadn't been bathed recently. It's just sweetness. There's no words to describe it. I almost didn't mind that I was up in the middle of the night doing it. It was like a drug.

3. Baby dancing. I don't care how much you hate kids, baby dancing is hilarious.

4. Giving a stern NO when emptying the recycle bin is responded to with a huge smile and zero change in behavior, and my reaction is to melt and bend over for kisses. Now if one of my older kids did that...

5. When you walk in the room and they're so excited to see you they can't control their arms and legs flailing. Their whole body responds to their happiness over seeing you.

6. Being able to blame my belly pooch and bad attitude on having just had a baby (even a year later :-)

7. Nobody else can come at your face with a wide open mouth and spit drooling down to give you a kiss. Nobody (that includes you, Quincey).

8. Having babies brought me closer to my mom and sisters.

9. They can't talk therefore they can't talk back.

10. Some people wonder after having a child how they could possibly love a second one as much. It makes me love my older kids more when I see them loving on and caring for the baby. (Same goes for watching your husband with them).

Charlie with Max then..


Charlie and Max now.

11. I think babies (or kids in general) teach you more about yourself than you could ever teach them.

12. They'll look you square in the eye and with all the seriousness in the world babble something off to you in gibberish like you can understand them. Melts me everytime. They come into the world from day 1 with their own personalities.

13. When they start walking they stomp around flat footed and with outstretched arms like Frankenstein.

14. Soft silky porcelain skin all chubby and smoochable.

Quinn (7 months) being bathed by Charlie

15. They can't read so they're not embarrassed when dressed in shirts that say things like "All mommy wanted was a back rub.."

16. They get you out of uncomfortable social situations."Sorry..the baby is sick/sleeping/in quarantine/a jerk."

17.They can drive you crazy (in my case, literally), but no matter how much they screamed and wreaked havoc on you, once they're asleep you still stand smiling and gazing at them like they're the most perfect little angels.

(Baby Charlie sleeping)

18. Babies are adorable, but put a hat on them (the goofier the better) and you'll instantly start making ridiculous sounds and whispering under your breath how much you'd love to take a big bite out of them.

19. They believe they can do anything. Like crawl head first down the stairs, rule the free world, jump on the trampline with the big kids, or - like Quinn is doing right now - crack the code to your safe.

I'll stop at twenty although I'm sure I could keep going.

20. Farts are still cute. Quinn was walking around diaperless. She bent over to pick up her teddy and out popped a little toot. Everyone started laughing. Then Eloise - who is in constant competition with Quinn - comes over to me, pulls her pants down, bends over and let's a big one rip in my face. She giggles. Not. The. Same.

Comments

[Mum]

I agree. Babies are too precious - even better when you're the Grammie and can give the cranky, poopy ones back to their Mom for care.

Elly is such a middle child - just like you and me.

[JQ]

Nice one.