Growing up too fast

It turns out all of you were right.  Time is flying by, as I watch Aubrey grow up so quickly before my eyes.  I need it to slow down, just a bit.  Or at least I tell myself that on the good days.  On the bad days, however, I'm like "when will this toddler phase be over?"  But I know I don't really mean that.  But she's growing up, so quickly, and right before my very eyes.

 

 

Slow down, Aubrey.  It makes Mommy's heart ache.

 

 

I had one of those "wow" moments just last weekend.  We were at our neighborhood's block party, and she was playing on the playground.  Before, I would have to lift her up on the slide so she could go down, which incidentally landed me in the ER with that whole chest pain thing.  But nope, now she wants to climb up and go down herself.  The only thing?  She's not big enough to climb up, but that doesn't stop her.  She sees the big kids doing it, and she's like "So can I!"  I know where she gets that from.  (ahem...)  She saw the big kids going up on the top level to go down the spiral slides and wanted me to take her up there.  I did, but she did get intimidated and changed her mind once she saw just how big it was.  But just watching her slide herself down all by herself...it was like "wow, she really is a big girl." 

 

 

When we pick her up from daycare, she just walks right out of the room with us.  She doesn't want to hold hands; she just walks straight down that hallway swinging her arms, walking with a purpose.  I told my Mom about this the other day, and she started laughing and told me about my first day at preschool.  She said, here I was, this tiny little thing, holding my lunch box who looked up at her and said "It's ok, Mommy.  I can go in by myself."  Of course, she didn't let me do that, but still...my God, my daughter is going to be just like me. 

 

 

She's feeding herself, albeit making a mess, but still, she's feeding herself.  When we get her ready for bed, she wants to rub the lotion in.  After I change her diaper, she grabs her doll and pretends like she's changing her doll's diaper.  She's saying words like "Mom, Dad, down, woof woof, more..."  She sings songs like "Ring around the rosie," "Row, row, row your boat," and "Baa baa black sheep."  She tries to count along with Sesame Street.  She mimics.  I mean, she's becoming a little person. 

 

 

We also have those moments, those toddler moments, when I'm about ready to lose it.  I'm writing this post on Thursday, after we had an incident in the morning when I took something away from her to go upstairs, and she smacked me in the face.  Which resulted in a time out.  Or the bucking bronco temper tantrums...God, how I love those.  And the screaming.  For no reason, the screaming.  She's not mad, she's not happy, she's just testing her voice at a level that only animals should be able to hear. 

 

 

In a week and a half, we take her to her 18 month appointment.  Seriously?  A year and a half?  When the heck did that happen?

 

 

Of course, we do have those other moments where she's still my little girl.  Those times when her teeth are hurting her in the middle of the night, and I rock her to sleep as she holds on tight.  Or when she falls while playing, and she needs her Mommy to make it all better.  I do eat those moments up.

 

I have a little person on my hands.  A strong-willed, stubborn, but yet so loving little person on my  hands. 

 

 

Aubrey, can you slow it down just for a little bit? 

 

 

Aubrey walking by herself at the canal last weekend.

Aubrey, taking a drink after playing hard on the playground and enjoying the meat off some BBQ chicken wings.  And no, she didn't want to sit in the stroller...she wanted to sit like a big girl, of course.

 

Aubrey sliding while we were on vacation...

 

Aubrey playing in the kid's place in the mall.  She was climbing in and out of this rocket ship all by herself!