Last week I was re-certified in CPR. They were talking about doing infant CPR up until age 1 and child CPR up until age 8 and then after age 8, one would do adult CPR because kids start puberty around age 8. I gawked and thought it was a ludicrous statement. After all, I have an 8 1/2 year old child. So I was laughing about this to my husband and family members and I have jinxed myself because apparently some kids do start puberty at age 8. This became very apparent to me earlier this week. I have been freaking out. Reading my textbooks at work, blowing up the google. It's a pretty long process, thankfully. They all say when X starts, then it's X amount of years until X starts, and then X amount of years until the curse and then X amount of years until they reach their adult height. Uggggh.
I am really upset about it. A sadness that I can't put into words. A sadness and mourning in the pit of my stomach. My husband is trying to be really supportive. He's like, "Over the next 4 years our daughter will blossom into a young woman." I shot him a mean look. "Isn't that what you women say when you talk about these things? You're supposed to use words like "blossom" and flowers. It's a metaphor." Oh-my-God. Stop talking. "It's just that, she's our baby, you know?" He tries to speak to me rationally, "But she's not a baby anymore. She's a big kid. Be happy and excited - it's okay. Kids grow up. It's not an unexpected thing." This is coming from the guy that had a full mustache at age 12. He hugged me. I sighed deep.
She is a big kid. She is up to my shoulder. She will be taller than me soon. I just didn't think she would grow up so quick. It makes me feel panicked. I mean, we are almost halfway there - she will be 9 this year and in 9 more years she we be getting ready to go to college. I am starting to realize that the next 9 years will go just as fast as the last. Is the best half over already? I am not ready.
It will be okay. My husband will have a movie day with my youngest and I will take my daughter training bra shopping and out to lunch and make it a fun day. We will talk. Nothing will be new and earth shattering. We have prepared the kids always so that we never had to have a big "talk". I work in women's health and so I talk ho-hum about things. The kids know that as they get bigger they grow body hair, and boobs and get periods. It's just normal conversation in my house. They will give me disgusted looks, "Mom, you really need to shave your underarms." I just laugh and say, "That's going to be you in 6 years." Body hair.....acne.....it's glamorous. Turning into an adult is weird and awkward and embarrassing. I mean, the word puberty itself is cringe-worthy. I will vote that medical books change the term to Blossoming Time - my husband is right, it does have a much nicer ring to it. I will buy the American Doll book about taking care of your body. I will post "No Boys Allowed" signs in my front yard. Yeah, I can do this.
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