I am a stay at home mom. I am a homeschooling mom. I am an extended nursing mom. I am a mom four times over. But in the past few weeks it has been on my mind a lot, this thing called motherhood. I love it. I live for it. It is WHO I am and have always wanted to be. But do I really take time to “be” it? I mean, as I was rocking my sweet baby who has been under the weather this week I started to look at her. Not just look in her eyes, smile and move on. I mean, really look at her. I studies her hands, fat, chubby, soft as silk hands. Her feet, still soft and uncalloused, and tender, just like her. Then I noticed her cheeks. Man, they are the roundest, pinkest, softest, most kissable cheeks I have seen in a long time. But I noticed them. And I am glad that I did. Because if I have learned one thing on this journey of motherhood it is that things don’t last and babies don’t keep. Before you know it they are second grade school girls that are making their own lunches, sweeping the floor, and dressing the baby.
So I am determined to “notice” more. To live more in the moment. And when one of my kids needs me, or even just wants my attention, I will stop and savor the moment. I will consent rate on it and REALLY remember it.
Because before I know it the moment will have passed and all I will have is…..
Wonderful post today! I just updated my FB status with: Finally after 3.5 hours of crying, Scout is sleeping. I’m drained.
For almost 3.5 straight hours, I held my son this morning who is teething and just isn’t himself. I studied him too. And I found myself, if he would drift off, to try as fast as I could to put him in his crib so I could get things done. Twice I tried. Twice I failed. I then decided to just hold him until he no longer ‘needed’ me to hold him. I also have a 4 year old who got to be held all the time and had my undivided attention. But, with 2 kids, it’s hard giving that same equality to the second. I realized today that he just needed to be held. He wanted his mama close by where he could feel safe and secure – and I tried to push him away so he could just ‘go to sleep’.
They do grow so fast and in a year from now he won’t fit in my arms so snug – I need to cherish the ‘now’ everyday. Because tomorrow it will be gone.
Thank you for the reminder. Why we try to put more value on ‘getting things done’ than ‘being there for our kids’ is beyond me. We all need a shaken to get our heads on straight sometimes.
Thanks again. I enjoyed and needed this post today.
What a beautiful post! Thank you for sharing!
Heidi
Amen sister! I need to try to “care” even when it is driving me crazy! I should just be happy that Silas is eager to tell me every move he makes and every thing he imagines when he is playing. I should be happy that he knows that I love him and belives that I care what he is doing. Lots of kids are quiet because they know tht noone wants to listen to what they have to say. Don’t want even an inkling of that in my kiddos brains. I love to hear their little voice. Even if that means I have to hear it ALL DAY LONG!
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So true! I’ve been thinking about this a lot this week too. Maybe it’s because Jenna started back to school and I realize just how much she is growing up, and then I realize how it seems like just yesterday, she was Angie’s age. Soemtimes I just sit and hold Angie while she sleeps and think about how precious it is to have this time with her, and often I wish I had just sat and held Jenna more when she was little.
So true. I wish I took more time every day just to sit with the kids and talk. They have so much to say and have such awesome insight.
I really loved this post! How beautiful and so true!
Gotta love those baby cheeks. Great blog post. Time flies by so fast even though when your in the midst of little ones, feeding them, changing diapers, cleaning up after them, wiping noses……it is so easy to forget to cherish these special ‘O so fleating’ moments. Thanks for the reminder :)