So I was looking for some kids clothes and realized something shocking: we no longer have a baby. I know to many, we look like the maniac parents of two babies, but according to clothes sizes and recent milestones, that term no longer applies to our children. As we phased Remy out of formula (YAY!!!) and he erupts into a new clothing size every few weeks, we have to face it: we now have toddlers. This probably comes across as a “duh!” moment. Yes – children age. But for those of us who desperately yearned for a baby for years before becoming parents, seeing your kids age out of that daydream age is kind of stunning. Our mental image of parenthood was as ridiculous as the next guy’s, but because we we were afraid it would never happen, we rarely allowed ourselves the luxury of picturing our lives with multiple or older kids. The risk for emotional distress was too great.

So now, we celebrate. We timed our formula purchases so well that Remy ran out three days before his birthday! We’ve tried him with milk and he transitioned seamlessly. Sippy cups next.

And Tess! Tess put on her own shoes today – on the right feet. She helps with laundry, the dishes, and feeds Stella in the mornings. She’s trying out phrases and seeing what happens. (We’ve managed to keep “no!” on the uninteresting side of the spectrum. Oh, restraint.) Most miraculous? We were asked to submit Tess’ story with some pictures for the success wall at the NICU where she was born. We loved that wall – it was the promise that someday we’d leave the hospital and she could be okay. And here we are, moving forward. Dreaming bigger!