Babies

I've come to terms with the fact that I tend to baby my kids.  I can't help it.  I have a hard time letting go of them as babies.  I still cradle them in their towels when I get them out of the bathtub.  Quite often I have to fight an urge to pluck one of their peacefully sleeping bodies out of bed to bring to bed with me.  Every once in a while I don't fight it.

The younger of our two kids is very cooperative as a baby.  He's not quite two years old and, although he makes a lot of noise, he doesn't talk much.  The older of our kids, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly difficult to baby.  How do you baby a child who reasons and questions and uses words like 'actually' and 'otherwise?'   She says and does things every day that surprise and amuse us. 

a couple of examples...


Dad:  Olivia, do you love me?
Olivia:  Not exactly.

Olivia (at 10pm):  I need to go potty.
Mom:  Then go potty.
Olivia:  I need help.
Mom:  You don't need help.  Go potty and get back in bed.
Olivia (head cocked to the side):  Mom, help me out here.  I do need help.

To me she's still a little thing who's just too little to say the things she says and do the things she does. 

I'm anticipating going through many more bittersweet transitions with my kids as they get older.  I'm also anticipating I'll do a lot of crying.  My kids should anticipate having a very embarrassing mother.