What happened to my baby?

Since we weren’t successful in meeting Santa, I didn’t want to waste a trip to the mall so we walked over to the play are so that Ellie could play for a little while. Wow, it had been a while since we’ve been there! Our playgroup has had a few playdates there but for some reason we didn’t make it. Anway, as I watched Ellie play I started feeling a little nostalgic. There is this grapefruit thingy that the kids can climb on and it brought back a lot of memories. I remember taking Ellie’s picture on it when she was only a baby. (7 months) We had just moved back to Texas and our neighbors invited us to go to the Butterfly Festival at Willowbend. Afterwards we took the kids to play in the mall’s play area. Well, Ellie wasn’t big enough to “play”. She just sat around and watched the other kids play. I remember being paranoid that one of the big kids would hurt Ellie or trample all over her. I remember hoping that the older kids’ mommies would make sure that the kept an eye on their kids so that my little girl would not get hurt. I remember taking her picture sitting on the grapefruit with her chubby legs hugging a cherry in the center of the grapefruit. Fast forward a year and a half and my baby is now one of the big kids. I watched another mommy with a 6 or 7 month old baby and she had the same look on her face as I did when Ellie was that age. She was probably hoping that my big kid would not hurt her little baby. At that moment, I got a lump in my throat want wanted to cry. I wasn’t sad…I was just…I don’t know…sad. My baby girl is a big kid! I know, your probably thinking, she’s only 2! BUT it seems like not that long ago that I was that mommy. I had to collect my emotions and called my little big girl over. I asked her to sit on the big grapefruit and take a picture. Without hesitation she agreed and went back to playing. As she played I played a quick video in my head of all of Ellie’s milestones, adventures, play dates, birthday parties, bruised/skinned knees, temper tantrums, ear infections, runny noses, and everything else that comes with growing into toddler. It was then that I thanked God for giving me my baby girl. I know that there is nothing I can do to stop the clock on how fast time flies but I can certainly cherish every moment that He gives me to share with my little girl.

I love you Ellie!

XOXO

MOMMY