"I'm not a spatula"

Discovering her play kitchen one night, Abby starts bringing all the dishes into the living room where I am watching TV. Every dish says "hello" as it comes around the corner. I get tired of saying just "hello" back, so I say, "hello, spatula"(which is what she is holding at the moment. She looks at me kind of funny, thinks it over and says, "I'm not a spatula. I'm Abby." Don't you love it that at two years old, she already knows exactly who she is? I know some adults that don't even know that.

Anyway, we've had a very exciting autumnal equinox. For the second morning in a row, Abby has gone peepee in the potty. Of course, it kind of scares her, so she stands up and it runs down her leg and puddles on the floor which drives her crazy because she doesn't like being wet unless she is in the bath or in the pool. It creates very mixed emotions for me, however. I am socially compelled to celebrate and cheer her on towards diaper freedom. I will be ecstatic to be done changing her diaper, especially with the next one needing diapers soon. But at the same time, it is a step further away from her babyhood. She is talking more and more clearly, and sadly, the baby-latin will soon be gone, too. It makes me want to cry, and yet, I'm proud she is reaching these milestones. I'm grateful that she is smart and healthy enough to develop these skills. It is just sad to see this time of her life disappearing before my eyes. And I think of Sean who has missed the bulk of this babyhood, and I wonder how he feels. For him, one day she was born and the next she'll be four years old. And I hate that he is missing this.