Nobody Prepares You for the Toddler Stage

The messes, the meltdowns, and the little moments you wish you could hold onto forever.

Nobody really prepares you for the toddler stage.

It's so much fun, but goodness, does it keep you on your toes. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that having a toddler will humble you real quick.

This is the stage where you turn your back for two minutes, and somehow the entire roll of toilet paper has made its way from the bathroom through the house.

Or you catch your sweet little girl brushing her toy lion's teeth with a pretend toothbrush… except she's using REAL toothpaste.

Like girl, HOW did you even get that?! 😂

And don't even get me started on the feelings.

So. Many. Feelings.

It's like living with a tiny Sour Patch Kid. One minute she's the sweetest little thing, giving you hugs and kisses, and the next she's upset about something you didn't even know was a problem.

Sometimes I just have to laugh because honestly, what else can you do?

It's funny how someone so little can have such BIG feelings. And while I'm still learning how to help her work through them, she's teaching me a thing or two about patience along the way.

But somewhere between the toilet paper disasters, the unexpected messes, and the emotional roller coasters, something else starts happening.

You realize your baby isn't really a baby anymore.

The little girl who once needed you for absolutely everything is becoming her own person. She has her own thoughts, opinions, preferences, and a personality that seems to get bigger by the day.

And as much as I love watching her grow, there's a part of me that wishes I could slow it all down.

It makes me appreciate every snuggle a little more. Every time she reaches for my hand. Every moment she still wants Mommy close.

Because I know these little things won't last forever.

They say time flies when you're having fun, and goodness, they weren't kidding.

This tiny little human is paying attention to everything.

The way you speak. The way you react when things don't go as planned. How you treat people. How you handle the hard days.

She's looking to me to learn how to become a person.

And honestly, when you stop and think about that, it's a pretty big responsibility.

I'm not going to get everything right. There are going to be days when I'm tired, overwhelmed, or running on nothing but caffeine and God's grace.

But I hope that through it all, she sees love.

I hope she learns kindness, forgiveness, and how to give herself grace when life doesn't go exactly as planned.

Most importantly, I hope she sees the love of Jesus through me. Not because I have everything figured out, but because I'm still learning and growing right alongside her.

Maybe that's one of the most beautiful things about motherhood.

While we're busy teaching our children about life, God is using them to teach us a few things, too.

So for now, I'll take the extra snuggles, laugh at the ridiculous messes, and try not to blink too long.

Because this stage is going by a whole lot faster than I expected.

And even though it can be messy, exhausting, and completely unpredictable…

What a blessing it is to be her mama.