Basically, I'm a Liar

I swore I would not be one of those mothers who babied her youngest child. This was a swear that I made AFTER becoming a parent, so it counts way more than all those swears I had before becoming a parent. All those things I said before I became a parent, about no TV and all organic food and never raising my voice, they don't count at all. I know that.

But the no babying rule was made when my children looked like this:

Notice how there are only two of them? 

That's practically not being a parent yet. I mean, I think this picture shows a 2 year old and a 9 month old. I was swamped with baby-ness. Of course I looked forward to not having a baby around. 

But now the child who wasn't even a twinkle in his father's eye when that photo was taken is FOUR. 

My baby. 

I have tried to hold Hugmonkey to the same standards as his siblings. I made him learn to put on his own shoes and to get himself dressed, despite his aversion to both ideas. He's probably had more chores than they had at his age, actually. 

But he still can't buckle his seatbelt - and usually Lovebug is the one helping him with it. 

And he still doesn't clean up very well - and usually Ironflower is the one helping him with it. 

Sometimes he has to remind me not to feed him. 

Most damning of all, my go-to nickname for him is "Baby." He did go through a phase where he would yell back, "I'm not a baby!" but that's passed. It's like he's accepted his fate. 

And I've finally accepted that I shouldn't swear to anything when it comes to parenthood. 

PS: Happy birthday to my fantastic mom! Thank you for everything, all the time.