Don't Lick Your Sister: Things I'm Going to Miss (Age 1)

First Birthday

I have to say that age one really is one of my most favorite ages of all. It's the year that parents break through the infant fog - they have conquered the time period of multiple sleep disruptions, constant feedings and communication that mostly consists of crying. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE baby cuddles and the time of simply being able to just stare at the sweet face of an infant. I wouldn't trade that year away for anything. But age one is the year of watching the personality of your baby emerge. You get to witness them learning how to do some pretty amazing things and be proud of themselves for succeeding. They say the funniest and sweetest things. They get to experiment with cause and effect and test their limits for the first time. It's a year filled with many firsts. And while this year certainly holds its own challenges; it is not yet filled with some of the more intense toddler emotions.

Last year, after the girls' birthdays, I wrote about a few things I would miss from their year as an infant and age 2. With my sweet girl turning two (last month) another year has gone by and it reminds me that this time flies by and there are a few things that I'm really going to miss. What's really amazing is that I jotted a few things down in a notepad in the last month of my sweet girl being one. In just a couple months so many of these things are already gone or changed. They are learning and changing at such a rapid rate at this time and I really don't want to forget these wonderful times.

So, a few things I'm going to miss from my youngest daughter at age 1...

1. Practice Jumping: It was downright adorable how badly she wanted to jump and how her little body would move up and down but her feet would remain planted on the floor. A few days after she turned 2, she got those feet off the ground for the first time. Watching her jump was mixed with joy at her success but sadness at no longer getting to watch those attempts.

2. The sweetest words ever: When she says "I lub you too" will always be one of my favorites. She would ask, "Mommy?" or "Daddy?" and when we answered, "Yes?" the reply was always, "I lub you too!" There's nothing better than hearing those 3 (er, 4...?) little words the first time but the way she said it made it even cuter. Later, it turned into, "I lub you much."

3. Other great mispronunciations: I love that her c's and k's all come out as t's. As in "otay," "tat," "tookie," and "tuddle." And it's just so sweet when she wants to read Frog and Toad but calls it, "Froggie Toad." And when 2 word sentences create things like, "Up me!" and "Eat time!"

4. Her size: When she sits on my lap she seems to just fit perfectly with the top of her head hitting right by my lips and nose. Perfect placement for kissing the top of her head or "breathing in the youth" (as Frank Barone would say).

5. The cuddles, the love, the sweetness at this age: I, of course, hope to always be close to my daughters but there's just something so amazing about the closeness and innocence of a very young child toward her parents. The way her eyes light up when we walk into a room. The way she will just melt into us when we pick her up and rock her. It's truly one of the best parts of being a parent. I certainly know this won't end at age one but I know this connection will have slight changes as she gets older and gains more and more independence.


Second Birthday

And now we will look forward to age two, another great year filled with an emerging personality and lots of learning and fun! I know it, too, is going to fly by far too quickly!