At Christmas, my little girl, my firstborn, will turn 11.
I still haven't wrapped my head around the fact that she turned 10 on her last birthday. Double digits. It suddenly seemed so much. So grown up. So not little.
And I know she is still little in many ways – 10 is still little. She still watches silly cartoons, she loved Disney movies, she still plays with actual toys, and so far, her Santa lists (which is under constructions daily) still consists of toys, not gadgets.
But still – every day she seems to be growing in front of my eyes, getting taller and bigger and smarter and, as I think any mother can attest to, watching your children growing up in front of your eyes is equal measure amazing and totally heartbreaking too.
I find myself tip-toeing in to look at her at night (some nights, she still comes into my bed, and I will cherish it for as long as it lasts) and just look at her sleeping, arms wrapped around her teddies and hair sprawled out over her pillow, and I wish with my whole heart I could press pause.
But we can't. So we just have to breathe deep, love hard and enjoy every fleeting moment, I think.
And there is beauty to be found in knowing we are all in this same boat, us mums. No matter where we live or who we are, we all marvel and grieve as our babies grow up – it's human nature.
I came across this picture Jessica Alba shared on her social media earlier this week, documenting how her eldest, Honor, who is 12, is now taller than her.
I mean – I'm so not ready for when that happens, I'll tell you that much now.
Jessica, 38, captioned the two images of her and her firstborn:
"The moment you realize your number 1 baby is taller than you..."
Followers and friends were soon to comment on the adorable and heartbreaking pictures, of course:
Rosario Dawson wrote:
"My not so baby grrrl is taller than me too... sigh... the nerve!"
Another mum wrote:
"Life goes by so fast. Wish they always stayed our little babies forever. The giggles. The silly jokes. The kisses."
Tell us – how old were YOUR babies when they out-grew you?
