And now she’s a toddler

We’ve had a major milestone this week – my baby girl is now a toddler. I can’t quite believe it, after so many months of walking holding on, she has finally gained the confidence to let go and walk by herself.

It only seems like yesterday that this tiny little bundle was being handed to me by the ambulance lady. It seems only five minutes ago that she was flashing us her first smile, rolling over for the first time and dragging herself across the carpet in a first attempt at crawling. And now look at her. She’s a fully fledged toddler, well on the way with her talking and toddling like a pro.

It really is bittersweet, saying farewell to the baby days, but looking forward to all the new developments to come. It’s a whole new chapter now, and with it comes a whole new level of scariness for me as a mother. We’ve already had our first scraped knee, it was the tiniest of grazes, but I wanted to cry and wrap her up in an embrace so strong and safe that nothing would ever harm her. In reality I gave her a cuddle and she was over it well before me!

Obviously I want her to be safe, but at the same time I do want her to explore and be brave and strong, so I won’t be wrapping her up in cotton wool. I think it’s just going to take me a little time to adjust.

I will cherish the memories of the days when she stayed still, but the days to come will be filled with so many adventures, I can’t wait to see the little girl she becomes.