Reznet

Baby Blues

By Christie Cooke

Motherhood has many rewarding moments. I embrace every minute I have with my children. They are growing up so fast, and that saying is something I've heard many parents say.

I understand the meaning of that statement when I witness the changes in my children daily.

Yesterday my son babbled sounds I never heard him make, and in a couple of months, he'll be saying a few words.

Emma's physical and mental growth always amazes me, too.

When she outgrows a shirt that she is supposed to fit for her age, I'm always in disbelief. Or when she comes home singing a new song, I am intrigued by the accuracy of her memory and her ability to pronounce words clearly. "She's no longer a baby," I tell myself.

I have a difficult time accepting their growth and their changes because there is a part of me that just wants to keep them cradled in my arms. I want to feed them like I once did. I want to keep them as sweet and soft as I remember them as newborns. I want them always to be my babies, and I just don't know how to let go.

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Read Christie Cooke's previous Native Moms blog, "Tips on Finding Childcare"

Christie Cooke, Navajo, has a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona. She is a graduate of the Freedom Forum's 2007 American Indian Journalism Institute.

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