Bye bye baby

In the last few weeks Livia has been really changing. She has started crawling, sitting more confidently and even pulling herself up on things. It's been weird to get to that stage again of being careful what is left on the floor and where are the potential hazards? We will soon need stair gates back up and fragile items moved beyond her reach.

When Chloe was at this stage I was really excited (although she didn't crawl until 10 months, so Livia has beaten her by 2 months!). I was willing her to get to the next milestone and felt concerned if other babies in the antenatal group got there first.

This time round I feel really sad! I have so loved having a baby again and have appreciated how simple their needs are. A baby generally needs feeding, cuddling, sleep, changing or perhaps medicine. Toddlers and children are so much more complex! I have loved how easy it is to occupy Livia and make her smile. She perfectly content with games of peep-bo or being given a new toy to munch on. I love how she smiles at me when I make silly noises or faces. It's great to put her down and know she'll still be there when I turn around again.

But those days are already slipping away and I know I need to embrace this new stage. I may not have a tiny baby anymore but she is still a baby for a few more months. I think I'm finding the reality of not having anymore babies quite hard to face (not that I have to make that decision yet). Livia is still very cute when she plods into the kitchen after me and gives me a big smile. 

I have a couple of friends who have just told me they are pregnant so I will just have to enjoy their tiny newborns to get my 'baby-fix'!