Slow Down Life!

I don't know what happened.  Yesterday I was enduring hours of labor and crying tears of joy as I met my baby, and today he ran away from me!  Nobody told me that raising a little boy would go by at lightening speed, and I can't stop searching for the pause button.

I can remember introducing Mr. Cheeks to everyone that I could, and being in awe of him.  Studying his every feature, listening to his every breath, and finding love that I never knew was possible.

Not knowing that these cuddles, gazes back and forth, tiny tiny clothes, and miniature fingers and toes would be gone in the blink of an eye.

Lately, motherhood has brought about an interesting challenge.  How do you take in each and every little moment and appreciate them, while life is swirling around you?  Child development is a focus from day one:

Are we getting enough tummy time?  

Can Mr. Cheeks sit up yet?

Oh, surely he must be crawling by now!

What???  He's walking!  Oh, it seems like yesterday we were in the hospital!







I feel truly blessed to have a healthy child that is developing normally, but with each of these transitions, with each of these "milestones" comes a bittersweet moment.  Wow, I say to myself!  The growth of a child is an amazing miracle, but in a quiet moment, I pause.  Sometimes I become secretly a little sad that these moments have passed.  That first smile, the first step, the first words, although engrained in my memory, can't last forever.  I look at my son quite often lately, and just like the day I had him, I think, "I can't believe you're mine!".  I even said to him the other day, "Who are you?  You are WAY too big to be my son!".

Lately, for the first time since having Mr. Cheeks, I now get the urge to have another child.  Although having another baby would be an incredible blessing to our family, I know that I won't be able to keep having children forever.  Eventually, I will have to face the fact that they grow up.

I know what people mean now when they say, "Enjoy every moment.  Before you know it they will be graduating from high school!".

We all seek to find a purpose to our days, and most of us have several.  My latest lesson as a new mom is to be truly present and experience each moment with my son.  I think it is alright to feel bittersweet, but in the end each milestone should be a celebration, and the beginning of the next chapter.

This post is part of Steady Mom's 30 Minute Blog Challenge.