Marveling
I have a question for you mommies. Do you spend most of your children’s lives marveling at how fast they grow? Because seriously. I can’t stand how much Elias is growing and changing lately. Every day it is something new. He is babbling more (he especially loves saying dadadadadadadadadadadadadadada), he pretty much likes everything I puree for him (latest fave is pineapples), his bottom teeth are really showing (though I still haven’t been able to get a picture of them) he can sit and play on the floor for long periods and he is even scooting on his tummy a very little bit.
I have been going through my pictures a lot lately as I work on my Big Picture Scrapbooking class. The gallery for the class is going to have more than 50 layouts and most will never have been seen before, so needless to say, I have been scrapbooking a lot. It is amazing to look through my pictures and see how his expresions have stayed the same, yet become more animated. I can’t imagine what it will be like five years from now.
Lately I have been holding Elias tighter. I think a lot of it has to do with Stellan’s story, but a lot also has to do with his growth. I know he is going to be pushing away, wanting run before too long. And while that is exciting, it also makes me sad. Can’t he be a baby for just a little while longer? So tell me – do you ever stop marveling? How do you enjoy all the moments?
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HOW PRECIOUS!WE ARE ALL PRAYING FOR STALLEN.HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY! BLESSINGS, FAYE
i never stop marveling. My daughter is almost 2 and it was just a couple months ago that I was “complaining” about her not saying too many words… now, she is learning 2-3 new words A DAY!! It’s hard to enjoy every moment… especially when you just want “me” time. but i keep telling myself she won’t be little for long.
My daughter is not a snuggler… never really has been. but the other day, i put on one of her favorite movies and laid on the couch so i could catch a few minutes of shut-eye… she crawled up on me, laid down and watched the movie. THOSE are the moments i will hold on to forever.
Now, i have a 2.5 month old boy who i snuggle more and more, mostly because of Stellan’s story as well. (just makes me cherish each moment a little more.)
i take pics, scrapbook, write blog notes to try to capture all the memories. seems like just yesterday my baby girl was born………………
I know what you mean. My 1st son just turned 7 months & I just cannot believe how much he has improved & grown in the last months. You know about 2 months ago I was holding him in my arms before bed & just kinda cried bc just thinking that he's not going to be this little for long. It hurts me to know he won't be little forever, just like any other mom. I want to see him learn new things, & grow up, but don't; ya know.
Good luck on that Scrapbook, I watched your video & enjoyed listening to it! I luv scrapbooking! Still praying for baby Stellan! God Bless
Jessica, I marvel a LOT! My daughter keeps growing and changing, even though I tell her to slow down! 🙂 I try to be present in the moment and just ENJOY her, but it’s a work in progress for me. My husband is so much better at just BEING with her, but I often get too busy or feel too tired.
And of course, I take TONS of pictures!!
I do not have any children. I have a young niece who just astounds me all the time. She is getting more indpendent and I hate it. It is little things like the other day I was strapping her in her car seat and she moved my hands away and replied ‘I buckle myself peassseeeeee”. I just thought no I want to lol but let her anyway.
My sister does what you do, she take too many photos but loves it! She also plans for all the big things she has ins tore for Carys like Disney. There will be plenty you will miss but so much to look forward to. You will always be his Mummy and nothing is more priceless 🙂 xxx.
No you never stop and my son is 6. You grieve for all the things they no longer need you for but you cherish all the things they learn on their own. Being a mommy is hard work, expecially for your heart, but you would never want to change it for the world.
My third daughter just turned 2 and you’d think I’d have had enough of the baby stage, but I still wish I could go back in time. What I sometimes wouldn’t give to re-live those baby days filled with warm snuggles, just my baby and me…But I’ve found that your life changes as your child grows and you’d also hate to give up the “older kids” things to revert backward.
So, like you, I live vicariously through my scrapbooks and videos of when they were young and bide my time…until grandchildren come along.
you have no idea how many tears have been shed as i reflect on how quickly my children grow. i’m a sap, but the thought of them “leaving” a phase always breaks my heart. with that said i’ve also enjoyed every stage we’ve visited, just when i think i’ve experienced the “best” phase i realize how wonderful the one we’re currently in is.
but knowing brewer is our last baby has really put me in a tail spin… i’m a mess over it!
I completely understand what you are talking about! My Alyssa is just over 6 months old and is growing crazy fast! Just today her Daddy called me to tell me she was STANDING on the outside of her exersaucer, playing with her toys! I enjoy every day and take lots of pictures. I thank God every day that he blessed us with her – she is such a joy! It’s been fun watching Elias – I feel like I’m going through all of this with you, since they’re so close in age!
I don’t know that the marveling ever stops! I’m still obsessed with watching her breathe in the middle of the night!
My little one is 8 months this next weekend. She is still grasping the “sitting” concept, but is starting to scoot on her belly already. We’re pretty convinced she’s going to be crawling first. It’s been so great to watch her grow and learn – she’s babbling like crazy and has said a few “words” (MA! and A-Da!) I’m loving it, but I still miss my newborn baby girl! 🙂
I also find myself snuggling her more than normal, probably also due to Stellan’s story. I pray more for her (and him) than I have in the past, and it’s been great to see what God continues to bless us with as she is growing.
Short answer – Yes! You spend most of their lives marveling and no, you don’t really ever stop. Mine are 20, 17, 15, and 12. They are very quickly, literally, leaving us. Which is good and right and as it should be, and they are amazing, but I still vividly remember those moments when they were tiny and I just wished they could stay little. My 15 year old is autistic and may very well always stay with us, which is bittersweet in its own way and kind of puts the whole thing in perspecitive. We mommies all have moments of wishing they’d stay little and with us forever and then the whole thing changes when you actually have a child that may have to stay with you always. But you really do love them all completely in exactly the form God gave them to you. You savor every moment He gives you, every milestone, especially those that all the “experts” said would never be reached. You take lots of pictures (I think you’ve got that covered). You’ll even miss a few moments along the way, but you breathe in every moment God gives you and you point them to Him, so as time goes on, you can marvel at what He does in them.
Savor, preserve and document…yep, I think you’ve got it covered. Trust me – you’ll treasure all those stories you’re preserving along the way.
Oh, yeah, just a warning – the times flies faster the older you (and they) get. And an additional note to all you younger mommies out there. Trust me they will continue to give you things to marvel at, and if you are really blessed, they will make you so proud you just will hardly be able to believe it. So let them grow, and enjoy it ALL.
Oh yeah – I was a little misleading there in the beginning. When I said short answer, I meant short answer first, to be quickly followed by the long answer. I do tend to ramble and I’m a little crazy about my kids. 🙂 Thanks for the chance to share, Jessica.
I am soo in the same boat as you right now!!! I get so excited that she is meeting her milestones b/c I have worked kids who aren’t meeting them. It is a bittersweet moments…excited, but definitely holding my girl a little tighter when I can(she has been snuggling lately and I just enjoy it b/c I know she won’t always be that way). I am enjoying every moment when it happens.
oh and I take lots and lots of pictures! make mini movies when I can…trying not to wish away time at all.
I still marvel – my son is 19 months and doing so many things on his own! He’s learned to climb up on furniture and church pews by himself, puts his offering in by himself at Church, and doesn’t want to snuggle much anymore. He walks to the car and climbs inside by himself…..So, just cherish those moments he wants to snuggle. I’ve started letting things go in order to just sit and play with him or to read him a book. It’s sad and happy all at the same time. I am so thankful for this little miracle that God has allowed us to have for a time.
I still can’t believe my youngest will be 21 on the 11th. Seem like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital. Time flies….cherish these special times!
My son is very close in age to your Elias… Riley just turned 7 mos. old. I love reading about Elias and the new things he’s doing, because it’s often very similar to what Riley is up to at that moment. I also have a 4 yr.old daughter, and I think due to having her, I’ve learned to cherish each moment, phase, stage, everything, just a little bit more. I love this particular stage, so much discovery and motor development! As sad as it is to see each stage end, remember there are always more just around the corner! I’m loving where my 4 yr. old is at right now, loving to learn and soak up knowledge, loving to create and play and imagine. It’s so fun! So thankful today that I am blessed to be a Mommy, I know you are too!
Ruthie
Never, ever do we stop marveling. Colson is almost 2 and we still just watch him explore and discover and learn, it’s SO awesome, and it only gets better. I just thank God for those moments that I am able to have with him. Now, obviously they still pass by too quickly but I think about the children out there who’s parents don’t really care and I know that he feels my love and we’ll always be close. It’s odd the way boys are, they’ll pull away for a few weeks then want to crawl right back into mommy’s arms…awesome…and definitely way too fast.
We will never stop marveling. We’ll be old ladies still marveling at our grown sons. I love to take pictures of Liam, but I find that being behind the camera all the time makes me miss the essence of the moment sometimes. I’ve started taking “mental pictures” where I just tell myself to stop and savor what I’m seeing and feeling. I will usually write about it later, and I find that the emotions of the memory are better tied to words than pictures. I still love pictures, but they aren’t always the best way to truly capture it all!
I don’t think we ever stop marveling. As they get older, though, I think I marvel a bit less. That sounds horrible, but I just mean that as they get older and talk and interact more I have less time to sit and watch and marvel.
But one of my very-most-favoritest things to do is to tip toe into my children’s rooms at night and…. marvel. How much they’ve grown and learned and changed. And yet so much of who they are was there when they were babies.
Enjoy every second.
No, I haven’t stopped marveling at my kids. Mine are 6 1/2 and almost 2 and it feels like just yesterday I was holding my oldest in the hospital. A dear friend who is older than I am who had been through it said that even though it seems like “this” stage is the best, there is ALWAYS something to look forward to in the next stage. He was right…my kids are joys to me in ways I never dreamed possible when they were such tiny infants.
I never stop marveling – my baby is 17m. I can’t believe how fast he is growing up. Each day goes faster and faster and he gets more and more independent.
I don’t have any kids, but like Becca I’ve got nieces and a nephew. It’s amazing how quickly they grow. My friends and I talk about how it seems like just yesterday they were babies, and now they’re 7, 6 and almost 5. Everytime I see them they’ve learned more and are just growing up. They all still like to cuddle occasionally, which is so amazing. I love laying with them and just talking to them. Their mom (my sister) is having another baby boy in July, and I fully plan on treasuring every second!
they do grow so fast. and even at 9years old i still marvel at how he is still changing each day. i remember the day i realized our oldest nephew was as tall as me. it was a bit surreal.
Savor each and every moment…I don’t think I did that enough when Peter was a baby, and now I marvel at the fact that he is almost 9. I am loving each of my 3 boys at the stages they are at and looking forward to the baby stage once again in September!
My little girl turned 3 in March. She had a princess birthday party and I cried. I couldn’t help it. It was so sweet how she interacted with her friends. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. I marvel all the time. She still enjoys being held, but it is different.
I’ve been wondering the same. My little man is growing up so fast. He’s not crawling yet and so many Mums have told me to treasure it because once he’s off I’ll never catch him. I’m really loving the playful kisses (otherwise known as trying to eat me) he does in the afternoons.
I wish I had marveled MORE! 🙂
I know, with my first, that I did. Now he is almost 12. Once his brother and sister came along, time really began to fly!
Thank you for this reminder…to marvel each day. (Even when they are 11, 8, and 5…:))
(I can’t blame you for marveling at Elias. He is absolutely adorable!)
Elias is so precious! My daughter is 17 months & I've often thought the same thing. I haven't stopped marveling and am amazed at how much she changes daily. Just yesterday I was thinking I don't ever want to forget these special times with her. I love to just listen to her babble, make cute noises, watch her figure things out and see the world fresh through her eyes. I too have been spending a lot more time lately snuggling my girl close, thanking God for her, for her health and praying for Stellan & his family.
Jessica, every single moment is so amazing! A secret, Little Boy’s LOVE LOVE LOVE their mommies. My Alex just turned 7 last Sunday and I have the same feelings you have, but he is as close to me now as he was then. Somehow in my eyes, he’s still my tiny little baby, I bet you’ll feel that way too! Enjoy all of it! Emily
I always held onto my babies tightly. Especially due to the fact that we were not supposed to have any in the first place. That made me to be aware and never take any moment for granted. Since you realize how fast it’s all going by you won’t take it for granted either. Believe me, when he’s 20, you’ll still look at him and see that sweet baby boy and he’ll still love his mama. It’s all worth it.
My baby just turned 2, and I admit it, I cried!! What a sap!! It is such a neat and rewarding process watching them grow, but oh how quickly it goes when we’re not looking. I think he grows while I blink! Him being my first, I was always (and still am) so eager for him to reach milestones and learn/do new things. I am realizing that with future babies, I want to savor moments more and not be in such a hurry for them to grow up! 2 seems so big to me. He is running, talking, trying out the potty, and he just looks like such a little boy all of a sudden. Cherish those baby moments and kiss those chubby cheeks for me!!! 🙂
Jessica, I never stop marveling at your life….you just comtinue to count your blessings with the journey….and you hold every minute in your heart….that’s the blessings of being a mom. xoxox Mom
I really, really hope not. I marvel everyday at my 3yo and my 8 week old. Both growing and changing all the time, now, growing together.
My husband asked me when my daughter was about 4 months if I’d ever stop telling him how much I love her, and I still haven’t.
I spend SO much time just enamored at my now toddler. We’re having baby #2 in June and I’ll have two to be amazed by!
What do you use to puree Elias’ food? You may have told us when you first started making his food, but could you refresh me??
I am exactly the same way with my 7 month old daughter, I just want to drink her in, knowing that it won’t be long before she wants to be independant and do her own thing. I wish I could somehow have taken in more of her tiny newborn stage but it goes by so quickly.
I SO need to expand my daughters menu….I am in denial of her age though, thinking, oh she is too little for that. I worry about allergies too, I had them pretty bad as a baby. I would love a post on what sorts of things Elias is eating these days and when you find time to puree. 🙂
My oldest is 18 and I marvel at the fact that she is growing into an awesome young woman of tremendous faith in God. My youngest is 15 and I marvel as she has just recently fully turned her life to Christ, how much she is growing in her faith and love for Him alone!
I marvel at all they can and want to do on their own…like fill out college applications! And I still marvel at the times they don’t want to do it alone….like go into the bank and withdraw money or go into the dr’s ofc!!!
I marvel at the way my 18 yr old says, “Mommy, can I raid your stash?”….she still calls me Mommy…even if it only is when she wants my art stuff!!!
I love being the Mom but know that my time is almost done…it will soon be their turn and I will continue to marvel at the Mom’s they will become in the next 10-20 yrs!!!
Sorry for being wordy but it feels good to share that!!!
Pamela in TX
You need to read the picture book “Let Me Hold You Longer” but be prepared to cry!
Sam will turn 3 in two weeks and I was beside him while he fell asleep the other night and all I could think was how much I wish I could keep him this age for longer. He is the absolute most fun now than he’s ever been. I can’t believe how fast he is learning about the world around him and asking questions and using his imaginations and solving problems…all those fascinating things! So far, though all three years have been bliss, this is the best time!
I definitely relate. I feel like I spend half my time lately crying about how fast Libbie is growing!! And then the other half being glad she is growing and healthy and wonderful. There is a certain picture of her when she is days old that just makes me crumble!! What happened to the squishy newborn??
Nope… you never stop and it is always a new adventure. My boys are 2 and almost-4. I love, love, love to see the new things they learn (but I do kind of miss the cuddly babyness of it all!) Enjoy all the moments!