Real talk: yesterday at my mom’s group, I found myself mesmerized by some of the babies in the room. I realize this probably isn’t surprising, since babies are known to cause all kinds of reactions, but it was a bit unusual for me. My own son is almost two, so unless we’re around kids who are younger than he is, it’s easy for me to still think of him as a baby. I mean, I know it’s common for parents to always think of their kids as their baby, but I always vowed I’d respect his growth and independence and not call him that for any longer than necessary. Still, I think we’ve finally reached that point where I'm feeing all the feels when I look at a baby, because my kid isn't one. Now we’re at the jumping off the couch, putting words together, and picking out clothes (well, sorta) phase, and I just can't help but feel exciting and sad, all at once.
And, as a result of my kid's non-baby status, I’m allowing myself to bask in the presence of other babies and drown in the relentless nostalgia they evoke. Like, I’m not holding back at all you guys, and yesterday I was drawn to these babies as intensely as if they were fluffy puppies trying to cuddle me, or iced coffees needing to be sipped, or GIFs of John Stamos casually smiling, just begging to be stared at for hours on end. Like, I am not leaving these feels unfelt because, both wonderfully and sadly, they're my only connection to the days when my kid was a helpless baby who needed me always.
So, in an effort to either pull myself out of these infinity feels pool, or pull you all in it, here are just a few of the feels you get when you look at a baby, and realize your kid no longer is one.