You won't miss it, cherish it all the same.

They all say your children grow quickly, it goes by too fast. This is true. They also say you'll miss it, yes, some things you will miss. Most things you won't miss, they just get replaced with other things.
Those sippy cups found under the couch a week later become cereal bowls under beds.
The walking the hallway with a fussy baby becomes you pacing in the hall waiting on a teen who forgot curfew.
The small pieces of laundry covered in spit up become big pieces of laundry covered in EVERYTHING!
The crying of a teething baby become a whiny teenager crying about wisdom teeth pushing through.
That newborn that eats every 2 hours turns into a child with a crackly voice that eats every 2 hours.
The preschooler that cries because you turned off their cartoon grows into the teen that stomps away slamming their door because you won't let them watch a rated R movie.
The stinky diapers turn into smelly gym bags.
The playroom covered in toys becomes a game room covered in granola bar wrappers and dirty socks.
Those moments of peace and being alone you long for become moments of stress and wondering why you haven't heard from your teenagers.
Yes, cherish the little voices, cherish all the firsts and snuggle the babies. However, keep in mind, you won't miss what comes with all the smallness that your babies are today. You will miss the smallness of your babies but you won't miss the work, lack of sleep or the frustration. It gets replaced with different frustration and the lack of sleep comes with different reasons.
I have plenty to keep me busy, I have moments that create memories, just like their first steps. It's just replaced with their fist dance. Their first words are replaced with their first heartache. Their cute laughs because of peek a boo are replaced with laughs because of an Adam Sandler movie.
The stress of the right preschool becomes the stress of sending your child off to college.
Oh and if you ever think you'll ever be able to use the bathroom without being interrupted, think again. My youngest is 9, and it never fails, I sit on the toilet and here various things...."where is mom?" "have you seen mom?" "mom, where are you?" They will still ask for snacks or if they can play video games through the door. There is no peeing in private until you are a grandma....I can hope anyways.
Tonight as I fall asleep, I won't be hoping for a restful night, I'll be stressing over sending my daughter far away to achieve her dream. Tonight I won't be hoping for a few hours of interrupted sleep, I'll be hoping for a good progress report in the mail.
Being a parent is so much more than babies and potty training.....It gets harder. Sure you don't have to do as much but you do have to lead them on the right path. Yes, they grow and you can enjoy the same TV shows and inside jokes but you still worry and lose sleep. Your worries over not talking yet and tantrums become bigger worries, like teen sex, drug use, and driving around with friends after curfew.
Enjoy each stage of childhood, one isn't better or easier than the next....it's just different.