Bojjandi grows up too fast

It seems to me that Bojj is growing up too fast - much faster than either of his siblings. Maybe it seems that way because I'm clinging on to my baby and don't want him to turn into a boy, I'm not ready for it. Though I say sometimes, just to scare A, that it's time we had another baby since this one's growing up, I know that Bojj is my last and I'm jealously clinging to every moment of babyness. Probably we're going to end up spoiling him a bit - we're only too glad when he clamours to sit on our laps or asks to be carried here and there, which also happens too rarely already.

From barely lisping two-three words, he's already jabbering away in full and long sentences. the other day when I was taking the kids to Dilli Haat, he asked me 'whey ay u going?' and when I threw the sentence back at him, he replied, "I'm goin to office". He asks intelligent questions about things he sees, remembrs and comments on stuff, recites full poems instead of being able to pipe in the last word of each line...yesterday I was holding his hand and realised with a pang that from being soft, dimply, cuddly little things, his hands were turning into hard, boyish paws, all capable and coordinated and everything.

He's already fully into playing with his siblings and they spend all day giggling together, playing silly games and fighting. He's also learning empathy. yesterday Puddi was crying after being scolded for not eating her vegetables at dinner. Bojjandi, who's usually quick to give her a thump or a push, came up behind her, all concern. "Kyo yoyi ho?" ( Kyon ro rahi ho - why are you crying?) he asked, and then without being told, pressed a warm kiss into her back.

I'm hanging onto the last baby things about him that I can, given he's going to start proper playschool from next week, i.e. without a parent accompanying him, and all five days of the week. I'm resisting getting his soft baby curls cut off, even though A says he looks sissy. I love the way those curls dance in the air when Bojjandi runs with his head down or shakes his head in a vigorous Okay. I love twining them about my fingers and feeling the soft downiness of his baby hair...Time goes by too fast when you have a baby in the house!