Jacqueline Zorn, the new mom behind @pocketsofpennys, captured a moment so deeply relatable that it has racked up over 710,000 views in just a week. Her viral Instagram video, simply captioned, “Who’s cutting onions in here? 🥹😭❤️” shows the quiet but monumental shift that happens right before our eyes.
In the clip, her baby moves through three phases of wake-ups: first laying down, then sitting, and finally standing. It’s not a first step or first word, but it’s one of those tiny shifts that remind you just how fleeting every stage is. One day, you’re laying them down in the bassinet, and the next, they’re calling for you while gripping the crib rail. And then, seemingly overnight, that crib disappears altogether.
The video resonates because 1. It happens so fast 2. Parenthood is a blur of these seemingly small yet deeply significant moments.
Related: Jessica Alba’s parenting advice on unhelpful mom friends, kids and technology, and milestone angst
Research backs up what parents feel in their bones—early childhood development happens at an astonishing pace. Studies show that babies undergo rapid neurological and motor development in their first year, forming millions of neural connections that drive their physical and cognitive leaps. That’s why, in what feels like the blink of an eye, they go from lying still to sitting, standing, and eventually running out of the room.
The comments section is filled with parents relating to the mind-bending (and sometimes hilarious) passage of time in parenthood:
- “I love how excited she is to see her mommy walk through the door.” @ladel410_
- “One day they’re waiting for you like this… the next, they’re waking you up by standing inches from your face in the dark. ” – @four.little.wards
- “The way a baby smiles when they see you in the morning is something I miss now that my kids are getting older. ” – @frosty818
This video isn’t about “enjoying every second”—because, let’s be real, many moments of parenting are not enjoyable at all.
But it’s a reminder that even the smallest moments can be worth capturing, not to pressure us to soak it all in, but to let us look back and say, “Wow, that happened fast.” As parents, we don’t have to cherish every moment, but when we document these quiet milestones, we give ourselves the gift of perspective—proof that even the hardest nights and longest days are just a season, one that’s always shifting into the next.
’Til the next wake-up.
Related: First-time mamas reach milestones, too—right alongside their baby
Sources:
- Neurological and motor development. Human Kinetics Journal. 2023. “Correlates of Fundamental Motor Skills in the Early Years: A Systematic Review.”
