My Kid is 6!
Birthdays are a big deal in this house
It’s my son’s birthday and one well-known fact about me is we take birthdays very seriously in my house. He’s been looking forward to the big day since, well… last year, and like always, I’m trying to pull out all the stops to make it a special one (extenuating circumstances be damned!)
As many millennial mothers can attest, figuring out how much to share of our child’s life online is a delicate balance. So, in another millennial way of thinking, I’ll make his birthday post about ME!
The thing about six is you can’t deny the fact they’re a full-on kid now. Five still offered some wiggle room, but six… you’re no longer a baby. While I don’t mourn the baby years like some people I know, there is a certain amount of mourning for how quickly it’s all going by. If I blinked and he’s suddenly a kid, will the same thing happen and he’s suddenly a teenager? An adult? Mom, if you’re reading this, can you please advise?
Like it or not, our child’s birthday is a clear reminder of how fleeting time is.
When I was putting together my son’s annual instagram post, another millennial mom staple, it was wild to see how much I’d grown and changed in these past six years: from the look of a freshly minted mom— both elated and terrified, and already exhausted from 48 hours of pre-labor, holding my newborn for the first time; to the first birthday, proudly holding a cake, surrounded by loved ones, as my body— which had just been hit by an actual truck— was bruised and in pain; to carrying my toddler in Disneyland, a month before covid would take over and change our way of life, and days before I’d file for divorce, also changing our way of life; to a year later, bouncing almost in sync in a bounce house; to birthday #4 with matching mickey accessories and a hug during the birthday song reserved for me; to last year, new home, new school, same bond.
In each picture and video, you can see his physical changes, as well as our life changes, but our bond remains solid. Maybe that’s also why six feels so monumental: as his world gets bigger, will our bond also lessen? Is that necessarily a bad thing? Again, Mom, if you’re reading this, please advise :)
In the meantime, I’ll do my best to stay in the moment because I know how quickly it fades away (even though I remain young and beautiful throughout the years ;-) )