When he was brand new and I was trying to figure out this whole Mommy thing, I said to him softly, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
When I went back to work while he was still so young and I had to entrust his care to someone else, before I walked away I cradled him closely and said to him, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
When he plumped up so fast to become the fattest baby I'd ever seen and I felt sad and a little cheated out of the tiny baby days, I comforted myself by saying to him, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
When he became a toddler and started to act out in naughty ways, I sent him to time-out and then I said to him, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
When he finally had his precious blond curls cut off and he lost that sweet "baby" look, I couldn't believe how big he looked but I still told him, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
As he grew older and began staying away from home overnight with friends and grandparents, I wondered whether he would miss me so I said to him, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
When for years I ached with wanting another child and assumed my firstborn was also my last, I held tight to him and said, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
When his baby sister was born, I worried whether he would feel left out or that he had been replaced and so I said to him, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
When he grew old enough to express his emotions and did so often by running up to me and telling me I was the best Mommy ever, I felt overwhelmed with love and said, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
And now as we have registered him for kindergarten and are preparing for the drastic life change that comes with his very first day of school, I hug him close and look him straight in the eyes and say to him, "Connor, you will always be Mommy's baby."
I say these words to him so often that now he repeats them back to me on his own. It's a title he has graciously and lovingly accepted -- for now. "Mom," he says to me so sweetly and out of the blue, "I will always be your baby."
Lauri-
ReplyDeleteI bookmarked and felt touched by the same post. I tell Jackson the same thing very often. And of course he tells me that he's not a baby anymore. I tell him he will always be my baby and that I will always love him no matter what.
I love your sweet post. And I loved looking back on all of Connor's pictures. My how he has grown. I can't believe he and Jacob will start Kindergarten next year. I just can't believe it!
You are right, he will always be your baby. I'm so glad you keep telling him that. I have no doubt that it will give him confidence to go out into the world and do great things. A boy needs his mother's unconditional love. :-)
yikes! kindergarten is a huge step.....i keep reminding myself that my role is to raise children so that they can become independent adults who want to visit mom and dad.....
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post Lauri! Isn't it true, these boys of ours that are growing up so fast on us will ALWAYS be our babies! Whether they like it or not! haha!
ReplyDeleteI love all those past pictures of Connor, those chubby cheeks, those curls--oh my how I have forgotten about all those curls! What a handsome, sweet boy he is!
Great post!
Girl, I am having to hold back the tears over here! What a wonderful tribute to your love for Connor. He is a blessed child to have a mother who - not only loves him to the depths that you do, but who also tells him so often how much he is loved and the special place that he holds in your heart. Those are powerful gifts to give.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how quickly the time has flown. It just seems surreal to me in so many ways. Kindergarten doesn't even seem possible, but I know that it's time. Next thing you know he'll be graduating high school and then college, and you'll still be able to say to him, "Connor, you will always be my baby."
What a sweet post....and wonderful trip down "memory lane" with the pictures of Connor! Time does pass SO VERY QUICKLY.....even those "difficult" days of dealing with little children! Love, MOM
ReplyDeleteI am crying over here! Geez....thanks. :-) Such a sweet, sweet post, and I loved seeing the "old" pictures of Connor! Even though I saw him every day when I dropped off Benjamin at Creme, I forget just how chub Connor really was! Gosh, he was angelic and so darn cute. Still is.... I am feeling like quite the slacker - I don't think that I tell Benjamin that near often enough. Timothy either for that matter....makes me kind of sad. OK - more positively, I love this post AND the new blog setup. Very neat.
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