cuddles – The Mum Reviews

I’ve been talking a lot about some the harder parts of parenting, so I’m trying to add a few happy posts to balance it all out. To quasi-quote Obi-Wan Kenobi, I would like to bring balance to the force, not leave it in darkness.

Sure, I still have to wipe a lot of bottoms and noses and clean up the odd bit of sick. Yes, it’s true that they both wake up multiple times every night and I am always tired. But there are some wonderful things happening right now, and some things that happened not too long ago that I want to hold in my heart forever.

I wish I could bottle these things and save them for later when they’re long gone. There are hundreds of photos and videos, but some moments can’t be captured by a camera.

So here is my list of 20 early years parenting moments that I don’t want to forget:

When one of them sits on my lap and I bury my face in his hair. The smell of the baby shampoo and the soft texture of the babyish hair (never mind the possibility of the odd nit).
The half-a-minute each day when my boys show their brotherly love for each other – a shy little cuddle, sharing a bit of food, or playing nicely without it ending in a screamfest.
The way my toddler dances with pure joy to any music at all. Even the ring of a mobile phone.
All four of us snuggling in bed together in the early hours of the morning.
The way my eldest never stops talking and loves to explain how things work (putting his own fanciful take on it, of course).
Hugging both of them on the sofa and watching kid’s movies on lazy Sunday afternoons.
The snorty mcsnuffles sound my youngest makes while contentedly sucking his dummy.
The day each of them first gripped my finger with their tiny hands when they were newborns.
The feeling of having them fall asleep in my arms.
My toddler’s hilarious forays into talking (yelling ‘caaat’ at the cat and saying ‘beep’ while touching your nose), which he refuses to perform while the camera is recording.
Watching CBeebies. My eldest is starting to move on to CBBC and I’m really going to miss Mister Maker and Iggle Piggle.
The way my boys cuddle their soft toys. We grow up to think boys aren’t as sentimental as girls but that is not how it begins.
Getting to choose what clothes they wear every day.
Reading them stories. My eldest is starting to read the stories to me now, which is also nice, but I was loving the sound of my own voice. 😉
Holding their little hands. Having them not be ashamed to hold my hand anytime in public.
Having them jump into my arms when I pick them up from childcare/school.
Answering endless “why” questions.
The way they play so happily together when they’re in the bath. I often dread bathtime, but someday they’ll be too big for bathtime together with mummy presiding.
The way my eldest says “I love you mummy”. And I say “I love you too”. Then he says, “That’s great.”
Singing them to sleep.