Baby-less...

Slowly, she's graduated. I don't know when it happened, but few things remain of the little baby I once knew. Aside from the obvious growth and rapidly increasing physical and verbal capabilities, everything about Montana screams, "TODDLER". And when I use the word scream, it's not just a cool adverb to explain how much of a toddler she is...I mean screaming because it epidimizes "toddler-hood".


I will always miss my little babies, I think. You can remember giving birth to them for heavens sake. I already know the moments I will never, ever forget. Of course, part of them will always be your baby. Even now, I know when my mother looks into my eyes, she can still see the dark brown eyes that looked up at her while she nursed. How can she not?


This last week, Montana left behind a major "baby" characteristic. Sleeping in a crib. We came dangerously close to almost coming to the end of "Nap-dom" as well, but ahh, all is still well and good in that department as we now call it "Quiet Time" (thanks to some GREAT advice) and she falls asleep anyway.


Yep. The BIG GIRL BED! And that's exactly what she calls it. It makes me happy and sad, all at the same time. Happy because she still calls for me after naps and in the mornings to come get her. Perfect. Happy because she is learning and growing happily and healthily. Happy because I can tell she is proud of this accomplishment. Happy because everything about her makes me happy. But, totally sad that I will never have her as a baby again. I look forward to more babies and more baby moments. Those are pretty much inevitable...but not with her. Ever again.


Wow, I just choked up...I knew I was sad...but this sad? Whew, let me regain my composure.


It helps that she looks so darn cute in her bed! I still need to get her a pillow.


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Okay, let me tell you what I'm happy to say goodbye to for a while though. Poopy diapers. That's a "baby" characteristic we have yet to leave behind. It's in the works. We have all the merchandise- Disney Princess panties, a Dora potty seat, Elmo Teaches Baby David to use the Potty book. Now, we just need a week of house arrest and a lot of patience.



In addition to all this big girl stuff, she speaks and acts like a "big-girl". She definitely has her screaming matches and tantrums, but, oh the conversations we have. I am amazed every time I talk to her. For example, this morning, I get her out of her bed and she says, "Good morning, Mommy. I sleep in my big girl bed. Daddy's at work. I want a blueberry waffle and juice please." All in one breath. All little filler words included. SHE'S TWO! This is just a SMALL and recent example. I am so proud of my little motor mouth. Or, should I say, MOTOR MOUTH, Jr.





With THAT said, she seriously copies everything! This morning she even tried to flip the nightlight off with her toe, like I do it. She plays the piano like me. She sings like me. Yesterday she found this old recorder that I had used to tape myself singing so that I could review the song and what I sounded like. She figured out how to push the play button and was singing along with it. "It's mommy!" she said. Check it out.

Yep, our baby is a big girl. And I feel "baby-less". But, I also feel "toddler-full" and thats great, too. And chances are, we won't be "baby-less" for long....