When I love him the most....

As mentioned in the previous post, my kids recently spent an entire week at my sister Crystal's house.   

Though I am eternally grateful for her willingness to watch them for that amount of time I have noticed some changes in Nate that have me feeling a bit unsettled these days.   

Little changes, here and there, that when added up tell me that Nate is not my baby any more.   

I don't know what Crystal did but I sent him there a baby and he came home a little boy, (who thinks he's a BIG boy;)

And it seemed to happen in one week!  

Instead of bottles and sippy cups,  I have a boy determined to do everything on his own.   Pour everything HIMself!  MAKE everything himself! 

Instead of bad sleep routines and late afternoon naps,  I have a boy with energy to burn and a determination to keep up with his older siblings like never before!   

This kid has a mind of his own now, when only a week ago I only thought he did;)   

It makes me sad.

And a little happy.  

... But mostly sad.   

Luckily, there are those moments at the end of every day, (or during an ever increasingly rare afternoon nap)  when he climbs up in bed and insists that I lay beside him.    For a few minutes I am glad again.  Glad that he still needs me to lay with him.   Glad that he still needs to twirl my hair in his fingers as he dozes off to sleep.   And glad that when he's asleep, he still looks like my little baby!

Even if he doesn't think he is;)

And that is when I love him MOST!!!

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I love this picture of Nate below.   The night he got back from Crystal's he insisted on taking this container of her homemade brownie bites to bed with him.   Every time I tried to take it from him- he woke up crying mad and it would take even longer to settle him.   

Love this determined little boy!