Cherish the moments

Hi everyone, and thanks, Cattigan, for allowing me to be a guest blogger while you're off having a blast in New York. I'm Leah, mother of three, and here is a little something that's been on my mind A LOT lately:

I say it a thousand times a day. "WHERE has the time gone?" or "They grow up far too fast." or "I remember when..." And it's true. Time passes far too quickly and my children have all three passed the baby stage and between the three of them, cover toddlerhood, preschool, and elementary school ages. WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE? THEY GROW UP FAR TOO FAST!

I remember when Emily was a new baby and it frustrated me that I couldn't put her down without blood-curdling screams (from her) resulting, to the point that she'd start to gag and choke. I remember how it used to take her up to an hour and a half to nurse, and how after about the first 15 minutes or so, my mind would start to drift towards the million and one things I needed to get done, and I'd be feeling frustrated that I was stuck in that darn recliner for an hour and a half, wondering why this baby couldn't just nurse and be done with it.

NOW, Emily is in 1st grade, spends five days of the week gone ALL DAY at school. Her afternoons and evenings are spent going through paperwork from school, doing any homework she might have received, eating dinner, having a bath, getting ready for bed, and going to bed. NOW, I desperately wish I could get back those moments I got to spend holding my baby all day long.

I thought I'd learned my lesson with Emily, and swore to take more time to enjoy Jared when he came along, but then splitting my time between TWO kids, doubling the amount of laundry and chaos proved no match for my vow, and I found myself rushing through life a second time. Not to say I didn't enjoy the moments as they happened, but did I really TREASURE them as they happened? Unfortunately, I don't believe I did.

As I look at my baby, Connor, who isn't even technically a baby anymore, I desperately miss those little lumps of flesh that snuggled on my shoulder and screamed bloody murder when I put them down. I miss the little body you could lay on a blanket and leave the room for five minutes, and come back to find it, still on the blanket. I miss how much they used to need me. Not that I'm usless these days, but it's not the same. They can all feed themselves, dress themselves, walk on their own two feet, etc. I was so anxious for all of those milestones, and now I often regret how quickly they came.

I take pictures of my children all the time, and go back to look at them often, and every time, I'm struck by how much more meaningful and special the moments are to me AFTER THE FACT. How each one lets me take a little trip back in time to enjoy that moment again, even if I was too rushed/stressed/whathaveyou to appreciate it to it's fullest at the time. So even if/when my kids get sick of me and my camera, I'll continue photographing them anyway, because I'll know there's a moment somewhere in the future where that picture will be our little time-travel device to enjoy the moment again and again.

Each and every picture is also a tiny reminder to try harder to enjoy life as it happens, instead of relying on pictures. To enjoy my children, and all of the chaos and clutter and drama and frustration (and joy and love and laughter) that comes along with them NOW. To try my best to make each and every moment count.

Am I perfect in my quest to follow through with my own advice? NO! Does it make me strive that much harder to be successful tomorrow? YES! Am I alone in trying to find the balance between motherhood, being a wife, being a maid/chef/taxi driver/etc while still finding time to appreciate all of it? PROBABLY NOT (though it often feels like it).

All I can do is try my best to remember to cherish the moments because these:


turn into these:


IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE!