Growing Up

Tonight was one of those nights where it's hit me that my boy is growing up.  When I come home from work it's usually a flurry of activity to get everyone fed (if they haven't already eaten), in the bath, and to bed.  The quiet time has been giving him his bottle which has been replaced with two or three minutes of rocking in recent weeks and months.  It's usually a time that is just him and me and I get quiet cuddles.  I get to whisper things that I wish for him with a fervent prayer in my heart that he can somehow grasp what I'm telling him.

Tonight, almost before we even sat in the rocking chair, he was motioning for his bed and boldly telling me "bye!"  I kept him on my lap by saying a prayer with him.  (If there's one thing the kid loves it's prayers.  He's always asking for "mo" prayers.  We blessed the food three times at dinner tonight.)  I squeezed him tight and choked back the tears as I laid him down in his bed.  I know he's still so little, but there are times when I feel my cuddly baby slip away a little bit.  Can I tell you a secret?  It kind of breaks my heart a little bit.