There are things you know you'll miss as your kids grow from babies to big kids and beyond. And then there are things that kind of take you by surprise. You know you'll miss the scent of your baby's head and the feeling of rocking them to sleep. And you know you'll miss dressing them in the cute little outfits that fill their closets those first years. You may even know you'll miss those big, slobbery kisses that are endearing from babies but would be disgusting from anyone else. Here are a few things you probably don't have any idea you'll miss, so enjoy them while they last.
Monkey hugs
I think my favorite thing about little kids is the kind of hugs they give. Big, enthusiastic monkey hugs with both arms wrapped around your neck and maybe both legs wrapped around your waist. You'll never get a giant squeeze quite like the one you get from your toddler. When your kids get older, they'll still love you just as much, but they'll be too big to wrap themselves around your neck in a monkey hug the way they did when they were small. Get all the hugs you can while your baby is young.
A sweet, natural smile
I probably don't have to tell you to take lots of pictures of your little one. But if you don't have older kids, you might be surprised the day you discover that your child's sweet, natural smile has turned into a cheesy forced grin. So have fun taking pictures of your child before they learn to say, "Cheese!"
Simple feedings
You might not miss waking up to feed your baby at 2 o'clock in the morning, but chances are you'll miss the simple, easy way your little one nurses or takes a bottle. Even as babies grow and begin to eat solid foods, most still happily gobble up almost anything you put in front of them. And baby food is such a simple dinner to fix. You'll miss those easy meals when you find yourself dealing with a picky toddler whose preferences change without notice.
Your baby's butt
Yes, that's what I said. You might not believe, while changing dozens of diapers each week, that you will ever miss the sight of your baby's butt, but you probably will. Babies have such cute little bottoms. Almost nothing is as adorable as a tiny little hiney bouncing down the hall as your little one goes running away after a bath. After they grow beyond the toddler stage, the baby booty days are pretty much over.
And one thing you won't miss
Just so I don't leave you feeling too melancholy about your baby growing up too fast, let me tell you one thing you definitely won't miss - interrupted showers. Some day you will be able to take a long, hot, uninterrupted shower again, without the sound of pounding on the bathroom door or screams from the other room. And you'll realize, there are great things about every season of life.
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