Auden and the Big Boy Pajamas

A few months ago some good friends gifted our son with an adorable pair of baby gap flannel pajamas. I loved them, but they were much to big for our baby boy. Two piece and button up and no feeties, not the one piece, zip front, footed sleepers we usually slept him in. In short, big boy pajamas. I folded the cozy little set and placed them in a basket full of other to-big-for-him-now clothes and put the basket on the highest shelf of his closet.

A few nights ago, after my babys bath, I went searching through his room, looking for a pair of pajamas that would fit him. No luck. Auden had somehow outgrown every one of his little sleepers in just a days time. I remembered the flannel pajamas he had been given months ago, and decided to pull them out and try them on. I didn't actually expect them to fit. They were, after all, big boy pajamas, and my son was just a baby. But they did fit. And all of the sudden my tiny little baby didn't look like a tiny little baby at all.

We continued on with our night time routine. A book, then a second book. Dim the lights. A song, and then another. And then two or three more. Lights out. Kiss his head, hug him tight. Tell him I love him and put him down in his bed, where he will drift off into a dream.

A couple hours later as I walked down the hall, headed for my own bed, I couldn't resist poking my head into the babys room to check on him. I expected to see him curled up tight, laying on his tummy with his bum up in the air, neatly tucked under his blankets, just like always. What I found instead suprised me. Lying on his back, sprawled out across the entire length of his crib, with his arms thrown up above his head at an awkward angle, and snoring! And there, on top of it all, were those big boy pajamas. What had happened? My baby used to look like a perfect little angel when he slept. Now he looked like, well, his dad. I could not believe this big boy in my sons crib was actually my baby.

I moved quietly out of his room and carefully shut his door behind me. And then it happened. I felt tears stinging my eyes. I had a good cry, right there in the hallway outside of Audens room. Nathan heard the noise and came to me. "He is so big! He's not a baby anymore! It's happening too fast!" I'm pretty sure Nathan thought I was being crazy, but he was sweet to me anyways.

It is true. My once tiny little baby is growing up, and it is happening fast. On Sunday, Auden will be 1 year old. It seems impossible to me that we are here already. Of course I am happy and excited, but there are times that I wish I could just slow down and enjoy every one of these moments with my baby, because I know he won't be a baby for long. I went to the store yesterday and bought some more pajamas for Auden. Some more big boy pajamas. How I love celebrating these little milestones, and how excited I am for a lifetime full of them!