Reality

On Saturday morning I awoke to find Heath giggling in what appeared to be his sleep.  Never one to sleep-talk or giggle in his dreams - I was intrigued.  After a little nudge and a 'Whats so funny' question....he opened one eye and said 'Macie is out of her cot'....he laughed....I laughed..and then he realised he wasn't dreaming.  We both bolted upright in bed to find Macie at our door with a cheeky smile and a teddy bear tucked under her arm.  "Hello"....she said through her dummy in her mouth as her eyes twinkled with mischief.  Our little acrobat had managed to escape her sleeping bag (which is admittedly an old trick), scaled her cot without so much as a rattle or a bump to wake us....and then proceeded to greet us 'Hello'. 

Over the past few weeks, every single thing 'Baby' that Macie did has been slowly disappearing.  She no longer needs us to feed her, she now drinks out of a cup, she now wants to sit at the table with us for dinner instead of her 'trusty-buckle-you-in-and-you-can't-escape' highchair, and she is even starting to give us some indicators that she is ready to be toilet-trained.  I knew the day was coming to get her a 'big-girls' bed....but I suppose I was just hanging onto that little bit of hope that my little girl was still a baby.  Clearly Macie had other ideas.....

So off we went to town to find the bed and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.  I had full intentions of gawking about how expensive a kids bed is and declaring that I was going to travel 400km to IKEA to grab a bargain.  I am never one to bargain shop but with my trusty mother-in-law Larni by my side - our little country town delivered one to my feet.  I managed to get two matching beds for the price of one....plus a rustic entertainment unit....all for $300.  Yep....add Bargain Hunter to my list of talents.   Then add another few hours of Heath cursing and screaming at the creators of flat packs and voila.....we have our little girl a bed with a little cheap 'It'll-do-for-now' doona cover....until I get the time to make her one in my her favourite colours. 

Never one to be sentimental....I found myself thinking 'It's starting' and declared this to Heath with the usual eye-roll as a response.  My little girl in growing up.  I cried when we placed her in her cot from her bassinet when she was 6 months old....and I cried again last night when we tucked her up in her bed - with her own little doona and her own little pillow.   It has happened....she is a big girl now....no longer needing the barriers to hold her back.  The world is her oyster.....and the little dance on the bed after the lights were turned out just proved to me that she is most definitely satisfied with the arrangement!! 

How do we know she did a little dance?  Well just imagine Heath and I on either side of the doorway peeking in to watch her.....proud parents much??

Soon she will be old enough and we will be having friends over for sleep-overs, having cheeky giggles about the cute little boy on the bus and in no time, she will be telling me that "I have NO idea" about anything.  Little will she know that when she becomes a mum....she will be horrified but just how much I did know. 

I am going to savour the little moments.  Like when she still wants to hold my hand when we are walking through the paddocks.  Or when she falls asleep on my chest even after I pick her up from her cot after her day nap and I spend the next hour on the couch memorising her little lips and her beautiful long eyelashes.  Or when she finds my singing abilities amazing....and most importantly, that she doesn't find me embarrassing.   Yep - I am totally soaking all these moments up.....

For this little human being is growing far too quickly.....and not even my tears are going to slow the time down.