Are Baby Gates Really Just Baby Gates for Stairs?

This is a sponsored post. All content is 100% my own thoughts and emotions. 

As I am sure you know, I am the mother of four beautiful children. After having my fourth 20 months ago, I realized how much my health had been suffering. Since then, I have been trying to nourish my body and bring it back to optimal health. One of the decisions my husband and I made along the way was that it would not be wise for us to have any more children, or at least not for a long time. Bam. End of an era. No more babies.

This was and is really hard for my mama heart to digest.

Finally I got up the courage to have a garage sale and get rid of all the baby stuff. However, I noticed the other day, I somehow forgot the baby gate - yep, as in baby gates for stairs. I walk past this gate 100 times a day, but somehow I have had no desire to remove it now that all my children can safely walk down stairs. Why is that? Is this baby gate more than just a baby gate for me? Is it a symbol of the end of a decade of baby-loving? Am I in denial that my baby is not a baby anymore?

If I am honest with myself, I would answer 100% yes.

Those precious moments right after birth, the days of snuggling and baby drool, a little head falling asleep against your beating heart, the sweet baby smiles, the firsts - first roll over, first time sitting up, first steps, first high five, these are the things I am desperately trying to hang onto for every precious second.

As my youngest grows up and my oldest grows up even more, I have to accept that we are moving to a new phase of life. And it is okay to shed some tears. It is okay to miss the baby moments. It is even okay to let the baby gate stay up for longer than it is necessary.

If you are struggling to move onward from the baby stage, move into the school age or move into the empty nest stage, it is okay. Give yourself some grace, let the tears flow, feel the emotions that go along with taking steps forward into new territory, and enjoy every moment with your precious family because these are the moments you all will remember forever.