There are many things I was not privy to before having The Kid. Newborns are loud sleepers. I thought I was doing something thriving on 6 hours of sleep in college. NOW I PRAY, I hit 6 hours slept on my Fitbit each morning. Children’s growth is invisible until you see your child’s pants flooding and the winter boots you put on her to hide said transgression plunk to the backseat floor because ‘feet hurt’.
Imagine my face when we exit the car during the Chicago Winter and The Kid has removed her shoes and her socks.
I appreciate how much my child has grown, but I’d also like for my pocketbook and my mind to keep up with the quickness with which this kid is growing. I have to refresh her wardrobe every other month. That would be an easy task if I wasn’t juggling all the other things that come with parenting. Brushing her teeth, using the bathroom in peace (The Kid will go to school this year so we have to start potty training. I SWEAR I THOUGHT I HAD MORE TIME) keeping diapers stocked and I think once I reach the point where I am no longer responsible for them, I will be able to write an incredibly negative yet colorful blog post about baby socks. (I HATE BABY SOCKS.)
This past Saturday I would have met with a lovely woman to purchase a lot of 2T clothing for my child. I noticed that the 18-24-month gear isn’t cutting it anymore, and it’s time to upgrade her wardrobe. I put her in a pair of 3T pants to tide us over until I got the new pants. Y’ALL, IT’S LIKE SHE GREW IN THAT MOMENT TO BE A BIG KID. It’s like she ate a Mario mushroom. It was crazy! The pants fit perfectly. I am positive she strutted because she knew she had on big girl pants. Also, the size 6 shoes she tried on had her running through our hallway like a gazelle. I wasn’t ready. My husband wasn’t ready. The look on his face and the awe in his voice when The Kid grabbed the “new” shoes she KNEW were for her and demanded the shoes be on her feet. Children’s growth and clothing comes with a special learning curve I wish someone would have told me about.
The parenting learning curve leaves much to be desired.
Every so often I look at my daughter, like REALLY LOOK AT HER and I notice the ways she has grown and changed. It floors me all the time that this little body that’s growing and flourishing came from me (from US). Every part from her hair to her toes that’s my big girl. However, she will soon flood again in no time if I don’t hurry and get her some new pants.
Parents:
What are ways you know your child is going through a growth spurt? What are ways you keep up with your little one’s growth?
Non-Parents:
Have you experienced a growth spurt in your adult life? How did you know it was time to change to fit your new stage in life?
