You remember when.......?

This past weekend Jimm and I started packing.  Like, for real packing. We went through closets, took down pictures, cleaned behind/under/around things.

Part of my job was to go through the kids clothes.  Jimm.....bless his heart (I'm not from the south, but I heard that you can make anything sound nice by adding "bless his heart") has no clue what size the kids are in, let alone what will fit them in a few months. 

I sat on the floor sorting through the piles of clothes and I found myself experiencing little pangs of difficulty separating. 

From clothing?

It's just an outfit.  Material possession.

Right?

Yes, but it's the "You remember when......." that goes along with the article of clothing. 

You might not associate a specific memory with one specific cute little outfit or shirt, but you remember their cute little chubby feet around the time that they would've worn that outfit.

You remember when they would still sit on your lap for more than one short minute cuddling with you.

You remember their smell.

You remember their first words, first steps, first time they reach out their arms to you......

I also realized that as I was letting the outfits go & as we were boxing things up to be passed down to friends, I was also letting go of having a newborn again.

Don't get me wrong.  I am 100% sure that 2 kids is it.  We're done.

But it's the realization that from now on, it's moving forward.  Each new "first" will mean that they are one step closer to independence.  To not needing me. Well, at least they think they won't need me :-)

Sigh.

I am also struggling a little bit with moving. 

I have been living in our little place for 14 years.  That's a long time.  And although we are cramped and constantly on top of one another.....

It has been our home together as a family for almost 7 years.  Jimm and I started out together as a couple and we became a family of four in our small tiny townhouse. 

I won't miss the tight, cramped space.  But I will miss the memories.

Just as it's not really the outfits that I will miss as they get packed away and passed on. 

But I will miss what they represent; the "remember when......".

19 months, going on 3 years.

My little girl is a piece of work I tell you. 

It's so difficult adjusting to a child who is racing through the developmental stages at the speed of light versus my preemie who took his own sweet time.

Ethan still wants me to help him get dressed at times (not because he can't do it himself, but because he is just plain lazy).  And Reese literally throws a tantrum now if we just try to help her get her clothes on.  Yep.  She can get her pants on all by herself; just don't mention to her that they might be on backwards. She can get her top on but can't quite figure out how to get her arms in the holes without some assistance. And she tries so very hard to get her socks on by herself. 

She throws a tantrum because she can't do it all by herself but when you try to help her she also throws a tantrum.  Sigh.

Don't even try to help her brush her teeth.

Don't you dare stray from our bedtime or morning routines.

She is now saying 3 or 4 word sentences.  Me. Brush. Teeth./ Me. Chocho (chocolate) dodo (donut).
Me. Baby. Go. Bye-Bye. Car.

She will let you know whether you asked or not exactly what you need when you are getting ready to depart from the Shepard household.  Shoes. Hat. Coat. Gloves. Bag. Caucau (coffee). Keys.

She calls Ethan "E-E".  Short and to the point.  Grammy has recently become "Me-Me".  I am definitely "Mommy" but our babysitter and my mom, Grandma, are both "Mama". 

She calls herself "Rees-E" or "Piecy"...our fault because we call her Reesey Piecy.  But she also now knows Shepard and says it almost perfectly. 

She is starting to recognize her colors.  Jimm was pulling out jammies the other night and she told him No. Pink.  Daddy was evidently not choosing correctly.

We are on the verge of potty training.  Yes, already.  Can't believe it.  Ethan was not ready until age 3 and if I would have started him before that it would have just been futile. 

She is now not only telling us when she has pooped in her diaper but also when she has done #1.  She woke up dry this morning and has also asked to go up and sit on the potty several times. 

My goal, though, is to wait until we move into our new house *hopefully* soon.  I figure if we start now and then move there might possibly be some regression not worth going through.........what do you mommies out there think?

She has a very bubbly and outgoing personality.  She is almost never in a bad mood.  When she gets hurt she cries and stops crying within a few seconds.  She love music and dancing.  She gets a kick out of gymnastics.  She loves baby dolls but also loves to tackle her brother on the run.  She wants to brush her hair and get ponytails in but the next thing you know she's pulling out the hair bands and knocking her brother upside his head.  Such a tomboy.

She kind of reminds me of someone.................