The Young and the Restless

The end of an era

I can't believe I can buy a real purse now. Or dare I say even a clutch? One that doesn't have to accomodate for diapers, wipes, sippy cups, 4 toy cars and a bag of crackers. Potty training my last baby feels so liberating. But even though I don't think I'll miss changing a poopy diaper on my lap in the car, or carrying a dirty diaper in my bag until I can find a trash can and then forgetting that it's in there until the next day, I know there's so much I am going to miss about closing the baby door for good. It kind of gives me anxiety just saying that, because babies is all I've known and what am I doing to do five years from now when my arms ache to hold a newborn?  For now I am just focusing on the positives, there is so much to love about this stage and so much to look forward to in the future as we are on the verge of emerging out of the crazy circus sideshow phase and easing into the normal family in public phase. While I'm not ready for Ryder to outgrow our whispered talks about bear hunts with his little face inches away from mine and eyes wide open, or the way he calls all his clothes dresses, or the way he wants to dress like a "me-jago" (ninjago) every day, or the way he changes his clothes at least 3 times a day if it's not me-jago-ish enough for him, or the way he loves "by-you" (BYU), or the way he says "wu you" (love you) and gives me the cutest tight lipped kisses with just the perfect amount of smack, or the way he rubs his blankie tag across my cheek as a sign of love, or the way he cries that he has no hair when I comb Maddox's hair, or the way he does ninjago kicks down the aisle at church, or the way he is obsessed with fireman sam, cars, trucks, trains and milk, or how he can't go anywhere without his clip clops (flip flops) on, or all of his little phrases like "I can't seed (see)", or "I want morn (more)", or the way he says "huh?" and makes you repeat a question at least 5 times, or the way he can't go to sleep without me singing "hush little baby".  Yes, those are the things I hope he's not in too much of a rush to outgrow. But I'm proud of the little person he is growing into, not to mention he is a bit of a child potty training prodigy, if I do say so myself. Minus one pair of highly coveted spiderman undies that ended up in the garbage, he has kept his pants completely dry. Even in public. For being my wild card, he sure has taken the potty training scene by storm. The wide array of undies to choose from and the bags of suckers helped just a little. Now pardon me, I've got the cutest little chubby bum to go and pinch. Because really, two year old bums in tighty whities are a mama's kryptonite.