parenting

Cherish the time.

I looked at my middle child the other day and realized her baby face was gone.

Her cheeks were no longer chubby and full like a cherub.

My newborn isn’t a newborn and it’s already time to put away her newborn clothes.

And don’t even get me started on my oldest. I cannot for the life of me even begin to comprehend how he’s a first grader.

I love the “Memories” that pop up on Facebook because they make my heart smile but boy do they make it ache too. The slobbery faced snuggles and cuddles. The baby voice in the videos that I can barely remember yet it seems just like yesterday.

 

Time… it’s so unfair. We wish it away when we’re in a tough phase in life or we’re waiting for something good to happen.

We can’t wait for the snow to melt because we’re sick of the cold.

We can’t wait for spring flowers to bloom and the sun to shine.

We can’t wait for summer so we can spend time at the lake.

We can’t wait for summer to end so the kids can go back to school.

We can’t wait for fall so it’s not so hot outside.

We can’t wait for the holidays and the joy of Christmas morning.

And then the cycle starts all over again.

There’s no slowing time down and when you have kids, you’re literally watching the clock tick in front of your eyes. Each day they’re one day older than the day before. They’re in a phase of life where they still very much need and want you but you know that time is only going to dwindle from here on out.

So you try and make time for the little things. You plan trips and outings and take pictures. You record their every move and look through old photos. You try and find a work life balance and cherish every moment you have with them. And it makes your heart happy, yet sad at the same time because you never know when it’s going to be the last time you do something.

The last time you’re out in public and they’re not embarrassed by you.

The last time they crawl into your bed because they had a bad dream.

The last time they want you to do their hair or start their bubble bath.

So don’t let it happen. Cherish every single minute and every single chance you get to do these things. I’ve stopped complaining when they want me to rub their backs while they drift off to dreamland. Or they want to just sit and snuggle on the couch instead of letting me check the billion things off my to-do list.

Because I know I’ll want these simple moments back more than anything in just a short while. Shorter than we think.

We can’t change the fact that time won’t stop or that it’s moving faster than we’d like it to. But we can change how we prioritize things or make time for the things that may be insignificant now but you’ll appreciate more than anything someday.

 

 

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2 COMMENTS

  • Liane

    I love this! Henry turned 2 a couple of weeks ago and it hit me hard that he’s my last baby and that time is flying past. It actually knocked the stuffing out of me for a few days. You’ve literally put into words everything I’ve been feeling.

  • Kelly

    They are growing up SO quickly!!!

    xx Kelly
    Sparkles and Shoes

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