One day a friend came over to see my new baby. She held him and looked at him and said, "Oh, enjoy every moment. It goes by in the blink of an eye." I sat there...I'm sure in a pair of something made out of fleece...and thought she was insane. Truly insane. Or I was insane. This was not going fast. This was the house where time stood still and it was never time to sleep. If this was fast, shoot me now.
And then I blinked.
Suddenly I had 3 children finishing another year of elementary school. Today JC finished 4th grade, MC finished 2nd grade, and HB is done with kindergarten. Since HB was already done with school, she and I went and spent the day at the children's museum yesterday. We rode the train and held hands walking down the street and played all day long. And somewhere in the middle of the day I looked over at my daughter and realized this would be the last "day" I would have HB all to myself. Next year she would be in 1st grade and attending school all day. It really did go by in the blink of an eye. And there is a big sadness egg sitting on my heart tonight.
Watching my sweet children grow up is such a joy. But I will be honest...we always hoped and believed there would be more children after HB. Chris and I weren't ready to be done and it has been a year of transition and change as I try to understand and accept what it is that the Lord needs and wants for me. But I won't lie...it has been hard. I didn't think we would be at this place in our life so soon. Suddenly I'm asking myself what I want to do when I grow up. And it is exciting. And scary.
Being a mother of young children is absolutely exhausting...physically, emotionally, spiritually. It demands everything you have. There are so many hard moments and so many exhilirating wonderful moments. There are diapers and bottles and long nights and tiny fingers and sweet smiles and lots of giggles. There are days that go on for an ETERNITY and weeks that disappear. It is such a strange, amazing time of life! Whole months have just vanished this year...and there are so many incredible memories.
And so in the great circle of life...I've become that friend. I will come and snuggle your newborn baby and with genuine tears in my eyes, I'll beg you to enjoy every single moment because it will go by in the blink of an eye.
Life is so amazing.
6 comments:
Did H get a haircut!!
Just today I was also wondering how mine got so old. It must be in the air. Can you imagine how quick this life will all seem to us someday---perhaps like...the blink of an eye!
I love the way you describe it all--I want to read books written by you...maybe that's what you can do with your free time, hmmm? For now I will have to just read your blog. Love you.
Amy-you described mothering young children beautifully. Thank you for sharing! You are a fantastic mother and I have learned a lot from reading your blog and hearing about you from Sarah.
Very true, Amy. I am anxiously awaiting the "NO CHANGING DIAPERS" phase of my life, but I know that there will be a little sadness that they are all growing up so fast.
Those ballet pics of H are so adorable!!!
I LOVE this post. I still have a 1 year old and there are those days where I would be that one thinking you were crazy, but I am starting to realize that it is true. It goes by so fast even though it is so hard at times. Unfortunately like most things in life we don't seem to realize it until it's a little too late.
I remember wanting to go on a mission as long as I can think back. I would always love talking to return missionaries and asking them about their missions. I remember most of them would say, "It was awesome, but hard." Before my mission I seemed to only hear the "it was awesome" part. Not until I was on my mission did I seem to remember them saying "it was hard". I have tried (and failed over and over) to really listen and hear all of what people are saying to me about raising my young family now. I have really tried to internalize everything when people tell me, "It's hard but it will go by so quickly." Thank you for reminding me once again.
I wrote a post on my blog very similar to yours if you'd like to check it out at www.tiltonfamily.blogspot.com
P.S. I think you are an amazing mother from what you write here and I hope I can be more like you.
Seriously. Why do women have such delicate hormones/emotions paired with tendencies to think about such heart wrenching things? I love the paragraph about time standing absolutely still (not in a good way) and then suddenly things just disappearing so fast.
And it goes back and forth, just like that.
I can't believe we still have three weeks of school left. East coast stinks sometimes.
I am definitely in the "shoot me now" stage. I want to believe you, but there is no way I will want to re-live these years. My memories will be enough to keep me happy and warm. That's why I keep a blog!
I may feel differently tomorrow. I'm having one of those days. You are so lucky to love and enjoy the small things. Not everyone is blessed with that gift.
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