“Soak it all in, you’ll miss this!”
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard this phrase since becoming a mother. But if I’m being honest, it offends me sometimes! I am dealing with the toddler phase right now and let me tell you, I will not miss it! I will not miss the sleepless nights due to sleep regression- waking up every 2 hours, no thanks. I will not miss the public tantrums. I will not miss the random emotional outbursts and the constant testing and pushing of buttons. I will not miss the game 21 questions asked 21 times in a day in 21 different ways. I will not miss teething. Toddlers are pint-size tyrants who can make you want to pull your hair out but also make your heart completely melt all in the same moment! For me, this is when the mom guilt sets in and then I begin to wonder if I am supposed to enjoy all this insanity. But I think it would take an insane person to miss that!
What I will miss though, is that sweet baby smell after a bath. I will miss the way they still fall asleep while being rocked in your arms even though earlier in the day, and when they slapped you for trying to sneak a hug. I will miss the adorable mispronunciation of certain words. I will miss the helpfulness – always ready to help with a task no matter what it is. I will miss the unforgiving love and constant affection.
Earlier this week we started dealing with our middle toddler going through a sleep regression. Most nights I get so outdone because I am on a whole other level of exhausted and don’t feel like getting out of bed five times a night to repeatedly lead my toddler right back to her bed. As I lead her back to her room she said, “Mama please lay by me, I don’t want to go to sleep alone” and snuggled my arm with her tiny hands so tightly until she fell asleep and began to soft snore. In the midst of me being so annoyed about the sleep regression (a thing I WILL NOT miss), she managed to make me melt!
Even though I feel like I have no idea what I am doing and swear that I will not miss the madness of this stage, I do know one thing. Being a mom is the most rewarding thing I will ever do and I will miss tiny moments like these. Maybe it’s because I am in the thick of it all that I say I won’t miss these stages. Maybe I will miss it all, maybe I won’t. One thing is for sure – I will never forget the tiny moments in between it all!
It is all so brutally beautiful. It’s BRUTIFUL.
