Baby No More

So, I discovered today how you know that your baby is no longer a baby. 

We were in the van to run some errands this afternoon.  From the back I heard Braden complaining that his snack was hurting his teeth.  Being the ever compassionate mom, I told him that graham cracker bites could not hurt him.   He continued to “owwee” with each bite. 

When we stopped at the store, I took a look at his mouth (thinking that this would pacify him and prove that I was right!).  Much to my surprised, it was VERY clear that the graham crackers probably were hurting him.  My not so baby boy is soon not to have two of his baby teeth!  His bottom two teeth are “wobbling” as Braden describes it.

How did my little baby (ok, so he never was “little” at 10#!)  but you get what I’m feeling.  This is the beginning of him loosing the last of his baby-ness!  Funny, I never thought that loosing teeth was a huge deal.  But as I am faced with this for the first time as a mommy, I find the tears running down my cheeks as I come to grips with the fact that this is it.  My baby is truly a baby no more! 

But the tears are not just sadness – they also are joy filled.  Joy at the fact that I have been his mommy for 5 years, joy that he is growing into an amazing boy, joy that this is another step into new and exciting adventures, joy that my baby is a baby no more! 

Braden – Oh, how I love you!