Now that Maddie has turned one she acts as if she got a memo from baby headquarters instructing her to grow up and fast. For example, not too long ago she would just flail about on her stomach like an Irishman the day after St. Patrick’s Day if I set her down, but now she sits up like a big kid! This alone has been hard enough to wrap my head around, but then Maddie did something amazing last weekend - she pulled herself up on her toy piano and looked over at me standing! It looked something like this:
After a few seconds Maddie let out a cute little giggle as if to say, “Dude! What the heck am I doing? How did I get up here?” It was pretty shocking. I honestly don’t think I would have been all that much more surprised if she rolled her eyes at me and lit up a cigarette.
I try to burn all these memories into my brain so I will always have them with me, but the sad truth is that I’ve already forgotten so much about my life with Maddie. I look at old photos of us together and try to summon up what it felt like to hold her when she was so much smaller, or to see her smile for the first time, but I can’t. Not exactly. Why is it that I have trouble remembering something so important about my precious little girl, but will go to the grave with all of the lyrics to “MMMBop” stuck in my head?
Even worse is that Maddie more than likely won’t remember any of this stuff either. My Dad sometimes asks me if I remember living at a home we had until I was two, but I always have to say that I don’t. On the other hand a friend of mine did recently tell me she remembers laying in her crib and watching her parents having sex when she was a six-month-old, so maybe babies can remember these early days. Of course with my luck Maddie will remember none of the good things I do for her, but have some weird memory of me walking around in my underwear and scratching my butt.
I guess the point is that life is short enough as it is without our memories failing us for so much of it, and we really need to appreciate every moment. Thankfully there is technology to help…like the following Youtube of Maddie sitting up and dancing!
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Duuuude, that girl’s got rhythm. Fo sho.
Alisons last blog post..Dear BBC,
Dude, I have forgotten so much of my kids’ lives already as well. My daughter is six now, and when I look at photos of years 1-2, I wonder if I had a major head trauma. And the twins. Well, there are mental health reasons I can’t remember that first year. My therapist might get the memories out one day, but it’s a blank too!
The videos are great though. I wish I remembered to take out the video camera more often.
Raging Dads last blog post..There is nothing as lucky as easy or free
Nobody asks us if we’re ready for them to grow up. It happens to fast. It’s not fair. I look at Oscar nearly every day and think, “Who is this kid? What happened to my baby?”
jennis last blog post..To Oscar
That’s one of the reasons blogs can be so awesome. It’s a great document. It’s not all the memories, but it sure helps.
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You have just inspired me to break out the ol video camera to capture some of my daughter’s cute tricks. I don’t ever want to forget the way she sings “twinkle little little store!”
It’s impossible to remember every little detail of the things that our kids say and do. But I’m pretty sure that when I’m in my 70s, the Blues Clues “we just got a letter” song will still haunt my dreams.
Too cute, Mike! It is sad that our memories suck. I really need to write more about The Babito on my blog to preserve some of these memories for down the road.
Daddy Dans last blog post..Roller Coaster
Yup… that’s probably my #1 reason for blogging. I can’t seem to remember ANYTHING. I re-read a lot of my posts every month or so, so I can relive all the goodness.
Joes last blog post..Goodbye, My Friend.
You tube as a surrogate memory. Me too.
It goes fast. I only vaguely remember the first time Zach did this, only a few months ago. Now he’s running. Running I tell you!
Even though I am fifty-four years old, every time I see a picture of this child I can feel a ping in my ovaries.
I swear.
Ms. Moons last blog post..Ha! I’m Back, I’m Black, I Can’t Figure Out How To Post Pictures.
i don’t have any “real” memories from before i was 4. but i’m so thankful that there are pictures…at least some. Maddie will be so thankful for all the videos and pictures you have of her too!
alis last blog post..more than a one-armed paper hanger
That video of her is so cute.
Zandors last blog post..My family found out everything.
I love how babies wobble around. That video is awesome.
My earliest memory is when I was 3. I have several vivid memories of me and my brother who was just a newborn. Once when mh Mom was changing his diaper and I asked what his “thing” was and she saids it’s a penis. I ran around all day saying penis, penis, penis.
ShellyDs last blog post..Poker!
Ha. But that’s actually totally not funny because it’s constantly depressing to me how much I don’t remember about my boy’s lives.
I have a memory of standing at our front door in Spokane, WA and watching ash fall after Mt. St. Helens erupted. But I’m not sure if I *actually* remember it, or if I’ve seen a picture of it. I was not quite 2. Good story, huh?
And you never emailed me back last week. Remember?!
AMomTwoBoyss last blog post..It’s My Blogoversary!
I always wonder what my kids first memory will be. That video is so adorable!
Jen Ws last blog post..The shortest wrestling show in history
Damn, this game is kind of boring. I rather play tetris. lol