rock 'n roll

Today I saw Emmett get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth for the first time. Sitting on a blanket at the park he was very determined to get off the blanket and onto the grass. Unlike his sister at this age who was afraid of the grass, this little boy cannot get enough. Any time he can get a paw on a blade or two, he is a happy little man.

The signs just keep on coming. Earlier today I tried to change his clothes and while laying on his back he picked up his bottom, pushed with his feet and quickly scooted away from me. He demonstrated this feat a few times - accompanied with a smile.

Previously a 11-12hr nighttime sleeper, Emmett is now waking at least once or twice in the night momentarily - first due to his new tooth and now because he scoots himself up into a corner of his crib and needs help straightening out.

Are we really moving so quickly into the next phase? While I look forward to seeing this little man move, I also mourn the fact that this little baby is growing up so quickly. Just today his bouncy chair, bumbo and boppy were relegated to "storage" in the basement closet. Placing them there among outgrown baby clothes, the swing, the bassinet...I wondered - are we really past these phases? Will we ever see them again?

This week Anna and Emmett shared their first bath. Each reveling in the company of the other, these were fun events. In the car today driving to the park Emmett leaned himself forward so he could see his sister (he sits facing backwards and she facing forward) and yelled "Ahhhhh!" at her with a huge grin. Amused, Anna returned the scream...and there it went back and forth for the duration of our trip. On the way home it was a repeat performance - again initiated by the little man. While the sound was deafening, I couldn't help but laugh at their cute way of communicating. Soon they will be talking together with real words, sentences and then paragraphs.

When I picked Anna up from preschool today she happily ran up to me with a hug. As we walked down the hall toward the door she looked at me with her lip quivering and said "I feel sad mommy". Stooping down to hug her, I asked her why - expecting to hear "I just missed you" or something along those lines. Instead her answer was: "I want to STAY here mommy, I want to stay at preschool". Equal parts happy (that she enjoys school) and sad (does she really want MORE time away?) I wasn't sure how to respond.

As I am swept up in the day to day tasks of caring for two children, I am often reminded of how quickly they are growing. Each new phase brings so much joy, but I can't help but notice how fast they are passing. I feel like I have written about this a lot lately but I can't help but feel like things are in fast forward at the moment. Will it feel like this from here on out? Or is this too just a phase?