Growing, growing

This week I have been struck by the rapid acceleration of time as my little boy is becoming more and more anything but little.  Since starting kindergarten a few weeks back, it seems like everyday there is a new milestone, a new accomplishment, a morphing from the little boy I once new.  How does this happen?

On Tuesday this week I went to his first parent/teacher conference.  I just have to brag here a little bit.  It was so nice to sit across from the teacher and have her rave about your child.  She said he was so kind, so respectful, so smart, she wished she could have a classroom full of Merricks.  I was so proud to hear about him already having accomplished all his math standards for the year and that he is reading at a mid to end of first grade level.  Most of all I was proud to hear her talk about how all the kids are drawn to him and that he is a natural leader without even trying to be.  These are all things I already knew, but it was so nice to hear them from another source.

It is silly, but the other thing that really impacted me this week is that Merrick's first permanent tooth broke through.  He has been complaining for a few days that one of his bottom, front teeth was hurting him.  I had asked him if it was loose and he said no, but when he was still complaining on Saturday I decided to investigate a bit more.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered his permanent tooth already having broken the skin and growing in behind the baby tooth.  Why has this impacted me so much?  It is just a tooth and the baby tooth has not even fallen out yet.  I think it is just the straw that broke the camel's back.  I now have have an almost 4 1/2 ft tall giant of a kid who is no longer a baby and he has the teeth to prove it.

I know I am being overly sentimental I need to embrace change, but I am having a really hard time reconciling the strange mix of pride and heartbreak that I am feeling.

P.S.  See for yourself just how big he has gotten in his school kindergarten picture.