Alexis' 1st Birthday from Kelli Melin on Vimeo.
Today kind of marks the end of a chapter in our family. With Lexi turning 1, we have officially left the baby years and moved on to toddlers, loose teeth and bumps and bruises. It's a shift that I knew was coming, but it always felt so far away. We have been in baby mode for 7 and 3/4 years, which translates, roughly, of course, to about 12,000 diapers changed so far. Wow, right? That means we've purchased as many, too! Anyone want to do that math? This thought brought tears to my eyes, not because the diapers were stinky or because the number was so staggeringly high, but because I literally felt the shift. I guess that means I need to enjoy this last year or so of Lexi in diapers! I've loved each and every moment of each baby. Now, the next best thing that I will hold will be my own grand kids. It kind of makes me feel old.
As I was sitting on T Jay's bed listening to him read a bedtime story to Matthew, my mind was soaking in the surroundings. Summer on Daddy's lap reading to him, Matthew engulfed in T. Jay's words and Lexi walking around between all of us. I literally felt the page turn, and it felt right. As sad as it is to leave one phase, the elation of watching my children learn, grow and change is worth the cost of the ticket. I have a front row seat to the best show I've ever produced!
