Babies

Ellie in purple jammies, 8 months

The jammies are back! Dash sporting the purple - 5.5 months

I'm 99% sure we're done having babies. To be perfectly honest, I love the baby stage, I adore newborns, I love basking in the postpartum period, I even love giving birth! I love almost everything about having a baby. But, I do not do pregnant well. I do not have an endless supply of patience, which is tested daily. I do not have an endless supply of space in my home, nor money to raise said children, nor energy. Maybe if we were a lot wealthier, had a much bigger house, could hire regular help and were 5 and 25 years younger we'd go for it. But, probably not.

(case in "I don't do pregnant well" point: I re-stressed my foot stress fracture I got almost a full year ago this weekend. Now I can barely walk. Yet again - another joy of the lovely hormone relaxin, which makes the whole "loosening of ligaments so your pelvis will widen so you can give birth" thing happen).

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm done, and I'm at peace with that. And when friends around me continue to have babies, I am very happy for their growing families and love meeting their new little ones and marveling at their newness and smallness.

But. I simply cannot believe that my little Dash was ever that little. It's impossible for my mind to fully register the fact that a mere 4 months ago, he was as small and squishy as some of these new babies around us.

I know they say that time goes by fast, and even faster with your second, but I'm pretty sure "they" are referring to a normal growing second baby - not a monster child who is growing out of his 18 month clothes by the second.

He was little for the first six weeks. He was even in newborn clothes for six whole weeks - that's twice as long as Ellie was! I found myself thinking "enough of this newborn stage already!" And then - he exploded. Literally - I mean - within a month (so, by the time he was 2.5 months old), he was wearing 6 month size comfortably, even 6-12 months very well. Now, at 5.5 months, he's leaving the 12-18 month size and entering the 24 month size. I pulled out pjs I retired from Ellie THIS SUMMER and put them on Dash the other day. He was quite comfy in them.

6 weeks old

"playtime"

This morning

"playtime" today

So. My baby is a giant. (And - still 100% breastfed! Kid has zero interest in real food - despite the "tastes" Ellie gives him of things and the one mushed up bite of carrot I fed him this weekend. No wonder I'm so exhausted - and hungry!).

The gentlest, sweetest giant in the world

At this rate, he'll be beating Ellie size-wise before the year is up (2013 that is - he'll be lightyears ahead of her by the time his first year is up). And, he'll probably never learn to sit up, crawl or walk because he'll be too big for his muscles (which are quite strong) to hold himself up. On the flipside, my arms will be very strong, and I'll be a size 4 because of all the breastfeeding. :) Sounds okay to me!