He said, “hungry.” Casey has always pointed, whined or what we called ‘Pterodactyl cried’ for certain foods. He now recognized that he is hungry and can communicate this issue. My baby is not a baby anymore.
He climbed on to the chair. Sure the kid has been climbing all over the house. This includes a dresser, the table, and a china cabinet. You name it, he has tried to climb on it. Now he is able to climb into something useful, his chair. My baby is not a baby anymore.
He walked up to the table, not his high chair. This is the part of the story that has had the greatest impact on our household.
Before Lizzie was born, my grandma Rocher gave me a high chair for the new baby. As soon as she was strong enough, I put her in it. She would be in the kitchen while I cleaned or cooked. I would roll it into the dining room when we ate. Like all babies, she out grew the high chair and had a booster seat at the table with Mom and Dad. Then came Evelyn, Will and Casey. All four has their turn in the high chair whether eating, playing, watching or just being in the chair so they were not underfoot. And then they all grew and are now eating and sitting at the table.
It didn’t matter that the high chair was broken in the back and no longer reclined. Or that 3 kids ago I lost the sling under the chair that holds items or catches food. And when it left our house we had more room in the kitchen. When my husband took it to the curb, I cried. It mattered that all of my babies managed to use the same high chair, that my grandma wanted to buy this for her great grandchildren. But most importantly that love and time was poured into these tiny humans via this chair.
I love watching my kids grow into independent creatures. I love that Lizzie is daily getting closer to being able to make me coffee. I relish the idea that one day they will make lunch and I won’t have to. My heart is happy having my family all sitting at the table.
My babies are not babies anymore.