The shop assistant was looking at me with kind eyes; I have a feeling it was not the first time she had seen utter incomprehension on the face of a mum with a toddler.
“So, just to clarify, you are saying I can’t buy babygrows with snappers for a two year old?” I said in my best hard-hitting interviewer voice, still not quite believing my ears.
“We certainly don’t stock them. Two-year-olds normally wear vests because it’s easier for…potty training,” She said the final words s l o w l y as if worried they might be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
“Potty training?! But she’s just a baby,” I fell to my knees weeping (ok, I didn’t but that’s what I felt like doing). I left the shop in a daze.
It seems, no matter how much I might want to ignore the fact, Freya is indeed growing up. No more babygrows. Soon, maybe, no more nappies, no more bottles, no more pushing her in her buggy. The baby years, for her and us, are about to be ticked off the list.
Before I know it she will be off to proper school and there will be no looking back.
I’m going to be terrible on her first day, I have no illusions. I know this because all the photos of little people, surely too small for school, in smart uniforms posted on Facebook and Instragram, even of children I don’t really know, had me tearing up. And then there was Topsy and Tim. I actually cried when Joy and Brian (don’t you think he seems like he would be Bryan with a y?) left them at the gates in a recent episode (and the worst thing is I’ve seen that one before). I never cry. Or at least I didn’t.
All those months I couldn’t wait for her to grow up (or rather grow out of her reflux) and now here I am trying to shoehorn her into an 18-24 month baby grow to try and convince myself that we still have time.
If you’d have told me pre-Freya that I would be this emotional, especially about vests, I would have laughed.
Aside from my journals and a small box of things left to me by family members, I didn’t have any keepsakes and thought the sentimental gene had waved to me as it passed by. Now the overflowing brightly coloured box which sits on the slighty bowed top shelf in her bedroom is there as evidence for all to see (well, all who care to look up).
I want to keep every single thing – and as the box includes the positive pregnancy test (is that gross?) it seems like I’m well on the way – but especially her, exactly as she is now when, if I squint a bit, I can still just about see a baby.
Don’t worry, I won’t put her in the box – the shelf wouldn’t take it.
After The Rain 
I think that’s normal from what my friends say!! Though I had no idea they just ceased making baby grows for two years olds…that must have been rather a cold slice of reality!! Now who are these Topsy and Tim people you mention?? Have i missed a trick here? xxx
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Aww Topsy and Tim are the twins from the Ladybird books, if you remember them? It is now a lovely CBeebies show. http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/topsy-and-tim
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No way!! I do remember them – I can’t believe there is a TV show now! There is hope for Kids TV then, I thought it was Teletubbies!
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Next! Next! Next! They do age 2-3 baby vests (yes, with the poppers at the bottom). I bought them for Adam. Keep them babies as long as you can I say 😊
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Woohoo! *SPRINTS to Next* I never even think of them for baby things. Thank you!
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Me neither, until a friend recommended them to me. I normally find things there a bit expensive but the vests are great and good quality 🙂
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Totally! I still have a (7 year old) positive pregnancy test, i teared up at T&T and now my littlest has started school it seems that time has gone so fast. Popper vests are so handy and cosy in winter. I discovered the Next 2-3 ones too! I’m trying to give stuff away rather than hoard, its good to see stuff used again. Just saved a couple of tiny babygros 🙂
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I was surprised how bright the test still was. There is so much in there that I have no attachment too but have kept anyway. I will need to sort it one day. I need to go to NEXT asap!
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It is good that you recognize time is passing because I am trying to come to grips with the passing of 3 decades since I was married and contemplating the start of a family. How did it happen indeed? It is lovely to keep a memory box of keepsakes. They will bring back beautiful and oh so special memories in years to come. I also still have my +ve preg test. I have recently started to de clutter in a pre, pre- retirement preparation. That is hard as each item has its own story.
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My goodness, I dread to think how hard that would be, although good fun remembering everything I would think. Maybe you’ll come across some more Mystery Photos too 😀
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I too feel the baby years are wizzing by all too quickly. I stopped putting BattleKid in vests at the start of the summer and haven’t bothered putting him back in them. However, I did only stop using, and pack away, our steriliser a fortnight ago. How sad is that? At 20 months old! I think I wanted to hold onto him being a baby for as long as possible as I know deep down he’ll probably be my only child. They grow up way too quickly.
And I’m exactly like you when it comes to treasuries memories. BattleKid’s memory box is full to the brim already! I’m not sure I can shove anything else in it. I say let’s hold onto the baby years for as long as we can! Xx
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Don’t tell anyone but I sometimes still sterilise things just for the fun of it even though we stopped using it ages ago. If my husband catches me he looks at me like I’m crazy. Hehe. The things we do. Wishing you a happy Friday 🙂
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Tara! You have a stick of stale pee?!! 😉
Someone I once worked with kept her children’s withered up umbilical cords. I kid you not!
I love each stage we go through, although now they are a bit older and constantly bicker i’m kind of looking forward to when they hit 20 and move out. 😉
Seriously though it’s scary how quickly time goes by, childhoods pass by in but a blink of an eye.
Treasure those terrible twos Tara 😉
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Oh my goodness, what?! I think I would draw the line there. Did I tell you my mum says the “terrible twos” are made up by the media? 🙂
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