Rocking.

I have come to the recent realization (unfortunately, much like hitting a brick wall) that our Little Olive is no longer an infant and is very close to being an honest-to-goodness little girl.  And I love that her little personality is blooming bigger.  And her vocabulary is growing.  And her sheer joy at discovering new things is bubbling over.

But I also loved cuddling and rocking with her in the small hours before bed.  And I will miss those quiet times.  I can feel them slipping away.  (To be traded for new and different wonderful things, for sure.)  So, when she wants a cuddle or a few minutes longer in the rocking chair, I indulge and sniff her hair and hold her tight, because I know that soon enough she won't fit in my lap.  And her fears and pains won't be soothed with a few minutes of quiet rocking.

As much as I look forward to many wonderful things to come with this wonderful little girl in our lives ... the realization that rocking will one day be a thing of our past makes me just a little teary.