Memories, Milestones and Forgettable Moments

Here’s a throwback: Think back to when your little bundle was pure joy, not the scattered mess that he can be at times now. Do you remember how odd you found people who couldn’t recall their precious child’s milestones in specific detail? Like how exactly they transitioned their baby from purèes to solids. Or which month of what year their baby said her first word clearly. Afterall, they’re not called milestones for nothing. They are significant and basic to human development and should therefore be instantly recalled when asked. Right? Well…

Here’s a story: When Hayes started school, the three days a week we signed up for was simply not enough. Though it was a major transition from spending every waking second together for days on end, it was not enough time for me to really get busy not actively being mom. So when he upgraded to going to school full time, my life became nothing short of hectic. All of a sudden I had a thousand things to do in addition to being mom.

Here’s the point: Fast forward to Thanksgiving weekend—a four-day, program-free stretch with a toddler who I had forgotten was still dependent on me to actively be mom at every moment. {Four-and-a-half days if you include Wednesday’s early dismissal from school}. Well, I had fallen out of the habit. I have changed with my maturing child and forgotten what it was like to spend ninety-six fully engaged hours together. It’s the bittersweet experience that parenting is. We live in the moment of wherever our child is on the developmental path. And in doing so, milestones get lost in all of the transitions.

Here’s the lesson: When I was new to Babyland, I can remember thinking parents were the weirdest people in the world for not remembering everything about their children’s lives. But now that I’ve settled into parenthood, I'm constantly reminded of how it all passes by so quickly.