I’m going to miss my babies when they’re not little babies anymore. I’m trying to soak in all the delicious baby ways but I know that I’ll forget the beautiful sounds and smells. The thought of never having another baby that is mine, all mine, almost breaks my heart. The ache to hold an infant son or daughter has already began.
The baby days. I wish I could bottle it up, but I can’t. I wish time would slow down, but it won’t. I wish I could be truly happy with each milestone they reach, but I’m not. Instead I feel a touch of sadness as they move toward toddlerhood. These baby days will never come back and I’m not ready.
I can’t possibly capture in words the things I find so addictive about babies. But I’m going to try.
Your little face
The way it lights up with joy and unconditional love when you see me. I’m your world. it’s intoxicating to be loved so unreservedly by such a perfect little person. I will miss staring at your innocent face as you sleep peacefully. What a time thief you are, but the very best time thief.
Your gummy smile
How it stretches across your whole face and makes your eyes sparkle. Oh to be so happy. And to smile and laugh so freely.
Your babble
Those baby noises. The ‘da da da’. The lip smacking sounds. The beautiful, simple babbling.
Your head
Once you were so tiny and your head so very heavy. You’d try to lift your head, and it would bob and wobble against my chest. As you grew, strangers would talk to you and you’d snuggle your head on my shoulder. Safe in my arms, yet curious about the people around you.
Your skin
Oh so soft. So beautifully smooth and perfect. Your precious baby skin, untouched by the sun and without a mark on it. How I’ll miss the smoothness of your skin against mine.
Your body
The weight of your tiny body as you drift off to sleep in my arms. Or as you doze on my chest. Feeling you relax and succumb to sleep. Your skinny bowed legs. The way your tiny little lips latch on to any skin that passes your mouth. The way your arms flail at an unexpected noise or touch.
Your breathe
The sweet, milky scent. The slow, gentle sound of your exhale.
Your hands
The way your tiny fingers held so tightly to mine. Or curled gently into a fist as you slept.
Your hair
The way your wispy locks tickle my nose. The soft, fine strands brushing against my lips as I kiss it. The sweet, otherworldly baby smell.
Your eyes
The way you gaze up at me as you feed at my breast. Content and trusting, sharing a moment where it’s just you and I. I will miss being the last thing my babies see as their eyes grow heavy and close, drifting off to sleep.
I will miss my babies
It’s foolish to will time to slow down. Babies grow, faster than I ever knew possible. But that’s what they’re supposed to do. Yet as my babies hurtle at full speed towards toddlerhood, I find myself grasping at those last moments of babyhood. These times of sleepless nights will pass, along with this time where all my babies feel for me is love. A time where I’m their world, their everything. It is such a fleeting time.
I ought be grateful, as a mother of twins, I get to experience all the firsts, for the last time, twice. Soon I’ll have two babies taking their first steps, saying their first words. There’s joy in those moments but there’s also a sense of grief I can’t shake.
Sweet babies of mine. I’ll hold you a while longer. I’ll kiss you thousands of times. Forever I’ll wish to be taken back in time. Just to have one day with you as my beautiful baby.
Linking up with Kylie for #IBOT
Tell me this sadness I feel about my babies turning one will pass? I’m a mess! Did you mourn the end of the baby days with your last child?
yes you miss your babies, but you get something so much better! A toddler. Toddlers are the best fun…then you meet the person your baby is!
I miss my babies so badly. I would love one more but it’s not on the cards 🙁
I love the baby stage. Now I have nearly 4 teens and it is so much harder.
What a beautiful post. Babies are so precious!
Thanks so much Bella, they truly are precious.
Oh dude, I’m a mess reading this. My “baby” turns 5 in July and every single day tears my heart out, it’s not fair!!! I want them to stay little and stay with me forever!
I’m feeling all of this at the moment
I hear you on all of this. I thought long & hard about having baby 3 (baby 1 was born when I was 21, baby 2 when I was 29 ) just before my husband & I decided he would get the snip. I knew in my head I did not want nor need another child as I was working full time and doing a degree but my emotions were much harder to convince. For me, it made being Grandma even sweeter when I got to care for my first granddaughter from 6 weeks on when her mum had a full time teaching role offered. I was 47, took 3 days a week leave to care for her. This continued till she was 8 months. In the ensuing years I have cared for another 3 of our grandchildren from 15 weeks on, and from 5 & 6 months respectively. I am only saying this to offer you my love & support during a tough but it seems necessary part of life’s many transitions. Can I thank you again for your kind sharing of your beautiful girls since before they were born? It meant a lot to me over those months as I was sorely missing contact with my younger grandchildren.. much love Denyse xx
Thanks for your very sweet comment Denyse. The head and the heart don’t always agree! It’s wonderful that you’ve been able to care for your grandchildren. I hope that one day I’ll have my own grandchildren and the feelings will be similar.
Naaw, sniff sniff. This was the sweetest thing.
I’m crying reading this, laying next to my baby who now (finally) just fell asleep. She is my third, and perhaps my last, baby. I feel that with the first two, who are close in age, I didn’t “enjoy” the baby stage as much as it was a hard slog just to get through each day. But this one, this one I have tried to take everything in. And it has still gone too fast, I can barely remember the newborn stage, and I fear I will also forget this pre-crawling stage once it is replaced with what is next, despite how many photos I take or how I sit and try to commit moments to memory.
I am struggling so bad with letting go. I am convinced I should have another one, despite how much I dislike being pregnant. Just to hold another one that is mine in my arms.
Thank you for your lovely comment. I too find it difficult to let go. Despite all the photos, nothing can properly substitute the feeling of a small baby in your arms.
How gorgeous!! Well done you mum for taking the time to remember all the tHingis ❤️😍 #teamIBOT