Transitions

Our infant is now a toddler.

Just today I received a note at his school letting me know that there is a space in the toddler class and that he would be transitioning over the last two weeks of November and officially starting in December. Aw, I thought, I love his teachers. And besides, he's not walking quite yet.

Well, tonight I noticed that he was standing in one spot, very steadily for a long time. So long that I had time to hand my husband his phone to capture the moment. Soon the moment became an event; the photo became a video. Our baby walked several steps toward my husband.

It is funny that even when transitions are expected, they can still catch you by surprise. On Monday this week, I dropped my son off at school and realized that I never got around to nursing him that morning, and he never "asked." A few weeks ago he had a toothless smile, and now there are four white teeth in there. I don't even remember when the fourth one appeared. His shoes that we got six weeks ago already need to be replaced this weekend. And everything will be different again in a month from now when I look back.

An object in motion stays in motion. The same goes for children, constantly in transit, growing and developing and moving from one stage to the next, passing milestones in a blur. This life of transition is an exciting ride, but not one that is easy to capture on camera.