Sometimes, you look at the calendar and can’t believe how quickly the months have flown by. Your baby’s first birthday is just around the corner, and already you can’t help but think about all the things that have changed.
Long gone is your tiny, helpless newborn. And every day, you see more and more signs of the toddler to come.
Sure, the baby months were exhausting. You didn’t get enough sleep. Or enough showers. Or enough time to yourself. But now, you’re realizing you’re just a little bit sad to see those months nearing an end. You’re going to miss that first year with your baby, and here are the pieces you’ll miss the most:
- Sleepy Cuddles: There is perhaps no better part of infancy than the cuddles. Of course your baby will still fall asleep in your arms from time to time in the years to come. But with each passing month, those occasions will become more and more infrequent.
- Nighttime Giggles: Yeah, yeah, you’ve complained all along about the lack of sleep. But you know what? You’ve also kind of loved those midnight hours that were kept for just you and your baby, and those sweet little middle of the night giggles you get when it is just the two of you in the dark.
- Baby Feedings: Whether you breast or bottle-fed, there was an undeniable bond that was formed in those hours spent feeding your little one. They were the blips of time you were able to slow down and tune your focus into your baby. You’re going to miss the excuse, and the reminder, to do just that on a regular basis.
- Moments to Yourself: Already, your baby has become so mobile that you can’t just set him or her down and walk away to take a quick shower. And the more mobile he or she becomes, the more constant supervision they are going to need.
- That Weight in the Curve of Your Neck: The way your little one wraps his or her arms around your neck and then rests their little head right there in the space that feels meant just for them…. Yeah, you’re going to miss that.
- Constant Rocking: Admit it, it’s a little weird how you are always rocking these days, even when your baby isn’t with you. You do it in the shower, in the line at the grocery store, and sometimes at work. Your body just rocks. And you’re going to miss even that.
- The Excuse to Stay Home: No one questions a new mom or dad who says they’re just too tired or overwhelmed for a social event tonight. Your days of using that excuse are coming to an end, though.
- An Easy Errand Partner: Your baby? He or she has been pretty easy to bring along to the grocery store for a while now. Yeah… don’t count on that lasting much longer.
- The Firsts: Sure, there are still a lot of firsts to come. But it just feels like so many fall in that first year of life.
- Sweet Baby Smiles: Don’t get us wrong, your baby’s smiles are only going to become more infectious. But there is just something about those innocent little baby smiles that gets you every time.
Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.
