Oh So Grown Up

As I was folding my laundry, I came across one of William's shirts. I stopped and admired how cute and small it was. Sometimes I am struck with how small my boys are. This shirt reminded me of another memory.

Before Mikey was born I was preparing for his arrival by washing all the baby clothes I had (ya, actually wash them, and it was probably 3 months before my due date). I was imagining my child in these tiny clothes. Some people had given me a few 12 month-old outfits and I looked at them in unbelief. I could not imagine having a child that old. I imagined a year-old child that would understand a lot, speak almost perfect English - pretty much an adult compared to the newborn infant I was expecting. I knew that my tiny baby would one day grow up to be a one year-old, but I still could not imagine myself with one.

Back to the present, the smallest size in the O'Neil household (for the next 2 months anyhow) is 12 month-old, and these clothes belong to my baby!! Yes, that age that I perceived as so old, and so "grown up" is actually throwing food off his tray, pooing in diapers, taking naps, and any other trait that is characteristic of a baby.

How funny it is that we perceive children older than our own as so "grown up". Just like I now think a 6 or 7 year-old is so old and life with my boys being those ages will be incredibly different. Thank goodness that isn't the case, for even though I love to see the progression of my boys, I would hate for it to happen too fast. It already goes too quickly, and it really makes you appreciate the time that we have with them.