Hitting Milestones

I'm having a hard time lately. My girls are hitting some important milestones.

Sounds kind of dumb, doesn't it?

Let me explain.

I am thrilled that my daughters are hitting their milestones. Every parent wants their children to develop on time and hit their marks.

Chris and I never got caught up in those things with Ann Catherine. Since she was a preemie, we knew she might be behind on some things and we were fine with that. She didn't walk until she was 16 months old and it really didn't bother me. My thought was, 'she'll walk when she's ready to walk.' And she did.

I mentioned in a previous post that Lily was crawling. That was a biggie at our house. It's a sign that your baby is no longer a baby.

Then today, I went to pick up Ann Catherine at school and was told she was in a different room. You see, her class promoted to the two-year-old room. When I walked in, she was so excited! She really loves her new room. But do you know what hit me like a ton of bricks?

This room has tables with chairs.

Until now, at lunch time Ann Catherine and her classmates sat in chairs that were actually sunken into the table. That way, they couldn't fall out.

But the tables in her new room are normal tables with tiny little chairs. At lunchtime or during art, each child sits in their own little chair and scoots up to the table.

That's when it hit me.

My little girl is growing up.

That can be so hard for a parent.

Don't get me wrong. If anyone realizes the beauty and joy of life - and how easily it can be taken away - it's me and Chris. So we cherish the fact that our daughters are healthy and hitting their important milestones.

But tonight, as I thought about those little chairs in Ann Catherine's classroom, and I watched Lily sitting in her high chair and using her little fingers to pick up Puffs and feed herself, I was just overwhelmed with how quickly our kids really do grow up.

People with older children tell you that all the time.

Now I realize how true it is.