Wishing the time away?

In the world of competitive parenting we are always looking forward to the next milestone so we can say, yes my child can do that. I have been guilty of this myself and often thought “why isn’t Isabelle doing that yet?” I know every child does things at their own pace so this put me at ease, I knew she would get there eventually.

What never occurred to me was that whilst I was excited for the next stage and saying “oh I can’t wait until she is walking” (I was very naive and would totally take that back now) I was wishing the baby years away, the cuddle times, my little pink bundle that was completely reliant on me and couldn’t do anything for herself. I regret it and wish that I had enjoyed those early months more than worrying about the next stage.

Isabelle has just turned 20 months and I am wondering where the time has gone, she’s at such a great age now where she interacts, we play together and the majority of the time she can tell me what she wants so her frustration levels are gradually reducing. I have also stopped worrying about the next milestones, mainly because I can’t keep up and I want her to stay my baby that little bit longer. I won’t be worrying about potty/toilet training until she is ready, I won’t worry that she uses her own words for things  or that she quacks at every bird she see’s, for now I’m taking a back seat and enjoying my little baby girl while I can still call her that. If I could tell her to slow down, I probably would.

I know for certain that when we extend our family again I will be far more relaxed and won’t worry about every little thing like I have being a first time parent.