Where’d My Baby Go?

I baby him.

A lot.

I know I never, ever babied any of my others like I do him.  It’s mostly because I know he’s my last, but also because he lets me. 

He weighs 27 lbs

and will be 2 in three months, and yet most days you’ll find me carrying him on my hip.  I joked the other day that you’ll probably find me carrying him in to kindergarten. 

By far his most favorite toy is a ball.  He still thinks all balls are footballs and before he throws you a ball he will hold it down to the ground and say, “hike-hike-hike”  Which when he does it with his Steelers football, it fills this Momma with pride, but when he does it to say a soccer or baseball, it brings a giggle. 

Today the kids and I went in the back yard to play and as I watched him, I realized how much of a little boy he is.

Try as I  might to keep him my baby, he really is growing up.  I guess it’s a good thing he has older siblings, because they keep ** me **in line.  They don’t baby him nearly as much as I do, nor do they let him get away with us much as I do either.  (his adorable smile seems lost on them when he sneaks an extra cookie or gets into a mess)

Today as my 4 year old lifted him onto the big kid swing and pushed him, I watched in awe as he held on tight and giggled.  He loved every minute of it.   As he did climbing the ladder to the club house and sliding down the slide into his sisters arms. 

 

Of course, I can’t yet leave alone in the yard with the big 3 to play, I need to be there to catch and comfort.  But, he’s ready to play and explore.  And I can’t hold him back. 

He wants to do everything they do…  even if it means riding a pink bike. 

As I watched them play for hours in the warm spring sun,  I had that all too familiar feeling

that despite Momma’s best intentions

my baby is turning into a “big kid.”

Just look at him here, does he look like a baby to you?

What is going on?