Growing Pains

Saturday evening, while I sorted through Kit's dresser, and had several complete breakdowns as I cuddled, breathed in, then folded and packed up all of her 6-9-12 month clothes (especially bad when I put away the blankets I used to swaddle her in!), the rest of my family took the nice hour long drive to the beach.

 

 

Later as I looked through the pictures Victor took, I mourned again for the loss of all things "baby", even while celebrating their independence and beautiful transformations into new stages and ages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even Grandpa got into the action a bit.

 

A little Alfred Hitchcock thrown in to keep things exciting! 

 

"No way, you already got one sister! You can't have this one too!"

 

 

 

 

Zak looks more and more like a teenager everyday, and I'm especially struck by how different it feels to wrap my arms around this familiar person with a different frame. His shoulders are broader. His little boy trunk and arms that I used to swallow up in a hug are wider, thicker, and longer and now are starting to encompass me!

 

Grace too, has lost the babyish roundness in her face. After a year of her toothless grin while waiting for front teeth, it's strange to see grown up teeth changing her smile. Interestingly, as different as they looked when toddlers, I see (and hear) more and more similarities in Grace with my oldest niece. They share several expressions and mannerisms despite their difference of complexions and thirteen years of age. Perhaps it's partly because Grace sometimes acts as though she herself were quickly approaching twenty-one! Boy is that going to hit Victor hard, with each of them!

 

 

 

 

Ohhhh Kitty Bitty, not so itty any more. Still our tiny one, but in such a hurry to keep up with all of the big people around here. I had to buy her some new sandals for summer, big girl shoes; and she sits at the table now, on the bench next to Brother and Sister. And even though she can hardly see over it when she's sitting, there is still this air about her that makes her seem older and more sophisticated than all the rest of us. Of course, she still goes giddy when Zak shows her his 'see food'! Nobody makes these girls laugh like their big brother, that's for sure.

 

 

 

 

So that's my pity party for the weekend.

 

 

Not to mention my recent spike of baby fever (horrible timing and completely impractical, hence the earlier mentioned breakdowns over baby blankets) to mix into all this mess. But I won't get into that now, might send Victor into cardiac arrest! (I can feel his blood pressure rising with every keystroke!)

 

 

;)  I Love You Honeeeey!