Cliché

When I was pregnant, people would tell me not to wish it by too fast. I didn't. I was determined to enjoy every moment and despite being sick for over six months of the pregnancy, I think back with a smile on my face and butterflies in my tummy. It was a magical time and I made the most of it the way it was.

When Emily was about to be born, people told me to enjoy my sleep and my restful nights while I had them. They advised me not to wish them away too fast - once she arrived, I wouldn't be getting any sleep. I disagreed: I was already losing sleep, Emily was making a point of that, using my bladder as a pillow and testing how far exactly my hips would stretch. I wanted to meet my princess on what would be the most important day of my life. It had been a long enough wait, and much to my delight, she arrived 5 days early. I don't feel I lost out on any sleep because of it.

When she arrived, they said "Enjoy her, they grow so fast." A cliché in every way, but each day that passed, each week, each month, I just found myself thinking the same thing. They grow so fast. At some point around four months (or it may have been five), Emily lost her newbornness. She became a baby rather than a newborn. Now, despite making no attempt at toddling, she looks more like a toddler than a baby. She is so far removed from the fragile newborn I held moments after she was born, it's hard to believe it's only been - realistically - a few months. She really has grown fast.

For once, "they" were right.