This is my youngest son. He will be six years old in just over a month. In our private snuggly moments... I call him baby, and he smiles and accepts that place in the world. When I began this blog, he was a newborn babe... and I knew that when I had him that our family was complete. We would have no more babies. No, I would not try for a girl. And no, it is not because I did not enjoy the idea of little babes to cuddle and love... but it was realistic for me, after having three... and being 35, to be done with that stage.
So I have known all of Collie's growing years... that his oh so many milestones would be the last times for me. Bittersweet. The first steps... would be the last baby who began to walk. The last time he nursed, I cried. The toilet training milestone would mean... no more diapers in our house. The first day of school... all of the learning and changes life has brought him... have been wonderfully joyfilled and a little sad at the same time.
These pictures were a takeaway gift from his cousin Lily's birthday a few weeks ago. We had been told there would be a photographer for the kids and that they could bring some props or whatever for the shots... and I was a little surprised (but not) that Colin ran straight upstairs to get Bunny. He insisted that he have Bunny in his pictures... and then, that he have Mommy too (because I am the person he likes most in the world is what he has been telling me lately)
Let me tell you the deets about Bunny. To me, he represents the baby in my boy. Bunny was an Easter present from Grandma... when Colin was a tiny little guy. Bunny joined the ranks with so many other stuffies of course, but he had a certain way of helping Colin feel safe... and is one of his very favourites. Oh how Bunny is getting tattered. This type of love wears on a stuffies fur. He has been through the wash a few times. I remember an incident where Colin and Bunny woke up wet... and Colin very softly told Bunny that accidents happen and he was not mad at him for wetting the bed. Bunny has been thrown up on, spilled on... and I am happy to report that Bunny has not wet the bed in a couple of years.
When we moved to our new home, Colin was almost four. Bunny was mandatory at bedtime for this transition. Bunny travels to Auntie's house almost every day, still.. and the kids are pretty much outgrowing their naptimes. More than once when Bunny has been left at Aunties house, Colin has insisted I call Uncle Craig to bring him home. We bargain and make it till the next day... knowing that Bunny is probably already asleep. When Colin has a migraine, Bunny somehow soothes him, he is just good like that. According to Colin... Bunny does not like to go right to sleep. And some times it is Bunny who has a nightmare. Bunny has made an appearance at Show and Tell in JK and SK. Bunny has tried to stay awake to see Santa, but was so tired and did not make it. Bunny wishes he could go in the tub with Colin but he has managed to be content with a spin cycle every now and again. (whew!) Sometimes Bunny speaks to Colin... and we tend to think he is pretty smart as far as forest creatures go! He loves Colin, so he has got to be a stand up guy, err, Bunny.
Now Colin spends so much time with his big brothers, especially Aidan, and so he is usually all about things that are above his age range... he listens to the radio, watches Youtube, loves WWE, plays video games... and then can also be very much his age... colouring, watching Disney movies, playing with his own toys too. I do not want to think of the day that Bunny is not a fixture. I will deal with it of course, after all, Josh moved on from Thomas the Tank Engine, and I handled it, lol. But... with the timing of how my children each arrived... as soon as one of them was hitting the stage that Colin is at now... I had another on the way. When Josh was getting antsy to "not be the baby", I had Aidan to fill that void. And when Aidan was at the same mark, Colin was right there to take that role. Sigh. What is a Mommy to do? Shed a tear, here and there... look forward to the wonderful stages to come... and daydream about grandchildren. teehehe.
A baby grows up... but in my heart... each one of my boys are still babies to me!
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