“They grow up too fast…” sound familiar? Everyone says it and everyone has heard it but until I had children those words had no meaning. It just seemed like something the older generation says to make conversation in public. It was something a distant cousin says to your mom at Walmart when you haven’t seen her in ages. It was an embarrassing moment when you go on a first date and your dad sobs, “my baby girl is growing up too fast!”
But you know what? It’s all so true.
If you are like me you may not even realize until 2 years have passed and your toddler is not so tiny anymore. Sure, people will talk about how big so and so has gotten and you will nod and say “oh I know!” but you don’t know. At least, not yet but when it hits it does like a brick.
It hits when your newborn baby arrives and your 2 year old visits in the hospital. How on earth did he grow a foot?! It hits when you decide to pack away newborn clothes for good. You shed a tear or 20 and wonder where the time has gone. A friend has a new baby and you hear his sweet cries. Your heart skips a beat and suddenly you go back to midnight feedings and diaper changes. Oh how you want that once more.
If only I could travel back to precious moments I took for granted, believe me I would. I would put away meaningless distractions and play that game of hide and go seek. I would complain less and smile more. Reality is though, I can’t go back. I will never get to experience their births again. They will never have another first birthday party or very first day of school. Part of me is so excited for my babies to experience something new but the other part is sad that once it’s over, it’s over. Each experience is one more step to growing up and I am not prepared. No matter how many times you hear me say, “I wish they were bigger!” don’t believe me. Being a mom is frustrating at times and sure, it feels like some days having older kids would lift a load off of me. I’m sure with all ages though there are still frustrations but no matter how frustrated I am, at the end of the day I am blessed.
Say it with me, moms. “I AM BLESSED!”
I am blessed for the opportunity to love and raise beautiful children. I don’t say this enough but it’s so important to remember. Between all the chaos of our everyday lives, the tears, the joy, everything… I am blessed to have it all. When our lives get a bit complicated I strive to take a step back and remind myself to stop and smell the roses. Play a little, laugh a lot and don’t miss a thing because life doesn’t stop. That sweet baby won’t always wake for mommy throughout the night and the house won’t always be flooded with toys. One day I know that I will wake up and wonder what happened. “They grow up too fast…” I will think. I pray that in the meantime I do everything I can to take it all in and to treasure the small things because they won’t always seem so small. Stay little, my littles. Just a little while longer.
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