REAL LIFE
The Erin-izer Bunny
By Shanna, age 19, California
Sweet Designs Featured Writer
Reality set in when I woke up one morning and found Erin bigger than she had been the night before. As crazy as it sounds, it seemed as if she'd grown overnight. Erin has the mentality of a one year old and surprises me more and more every day - everything from the fight she puts up when she's angry to climbing out of her swing whenever I walk away to begin studying or washing dishes.
I used to wave off adults when they would say, "Kids grow fast!" I never believed this statement, as most of us don't until it actually happens. I remember adapting to a newborn in the house and changing her clothes 3 or 4 times a day just because she has so many. Erin is at her halfway mark to being a one year old. As exciting as it is to watch your baby grow and learn more things as they teach themselves, I also feel a sadness that this happened like it did.
Over the course of 6 months, Erin has learned to climb out of her swing and bouncer (both of which I had to retire earlier than normal). She's teething, trying to walk, beginning to eat solid foods, and talk (her only word is Daddy). She even cries for her parents when she's sees one of us leave the room. As a mother, I get sad and I hate to leave her at any point in time, but the only way to get anything accomplished is by working hard, even if it means getting in early classes and working right after. I'm happy to say I'm adjusting to parenting very well, and I couldn't be prouder of myself and my fiancé for stepping up to the plate.
Erin's very joyous demeanor always brightens my day when I feel the most tired or stressed from daily life. It gets hard to keep up with her sometimes. She's nowhere near lazy - she jumps around, puts everything in her mouth, and even tries to drink out of soda cans and water bottles. She immediately starts working on tearing or opening pretty much anything she can get her hands on. At times I don't understand how she's so happy ALL the time and ALWAYS has energy to do anything and everything. She just keeps going and going, something like the Energizer bunny ... except she's our "Erin-izer bunny."
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