Shifting Seasons

Baby L is now Little L.  Rolling progressed into crawling that has now become wild running.  Receiving blankets are no longer a staple for going out, but good shoes definitely are.

And so, as the spring turns to summer, our life season is also in transition...again. 

The first giant Rubbermaid bin of outgrown baby clothes has gone down into storage.  So, too, has the first stroller, the first car seat, and the Exersaucer.  Toys that were once "must brings" in the diaper bag have long since been loaned out or packed away for a possible future baby.  Old and expired baby food has been tossed in favour of toddler snacks and grown-up food.  Soon, the baby bottles will also get stored, and the remaining bottles of formula will either be donated or used up. 

It's like the end of an era, which is really really odd, considering that a year ago, I couldn't even imagine that the fog would clear; it was inconceivable that today my baby would be exceeding maximum weight limits on some of her baby furniture, and that I'd be looking at buying little tables and chairs to replace Pack n' Plays.

But I guess that is why they say to enjoy the time, because the long days quickly give way to short months and years.

I'm feeling a little bit nostalgic about all of this transition, much like anyone rummaging through long-forgotten treasures in dusty cardboard boxes.  What if I won't need any of this stuff again? What if I do? It seems so crazy to think that so much money and time was spent investigating and buying items with such limited use, not that I regret doing so.  I just am shocked at how quickly Little L "outgrows" things, both physically and developmentally.  I'm even considering storing away some of her "baby" books, now that she has graduated into Mr. Men/Berenstain Bears territory, and no longer finds the wordless books appealing.

I guess I have some "big feelings" that I'm not sure what to do with, either.  :/ And though I love entering this new season, full of life and laughter and learning, I am admittedly a little sentimental about how short the last one turned out to be.  The sleepless nights were hard, as were the clingy days, but how quickly the rain and the haze have brought forth the flowers' bloom. 

But just as the first season of caring for a baby was fleeting, so too will toddlerhood be.  Therefore, much as I want to dwell in the wistful places, I have to remind myself to return to the present, and to enjoy these brief summer days before they, too, give way to another time and another chapter in my parenting journal.

May we all learn to live in the moment, taking in the sunshine of today and basking in its warmth.  And may we see many more seasons come and go before we exit this mortal plane.