Babies grow up {WAY too fast!}

It seems they get bigger every time I blink my eyes!

 

I think often about how fast these "little years" are passing  by. It doesn't seem that long ago I found out I was pregnant with Katie--she was the size of a pinpoint, and I was in love already. How is it that my SECOND child has already been outside my womb for almost 7 months? When I lament how fast my babies are growing up, Ben wisely reminds me that that's the point. We have babies so they'll grow up. And he's right. The goal is to grow them up into Christ-loving, Kingdom-advancing adults. But the lightning fast speed at which they seem to be growing up still makes this mama's heart hurt just a little bit.

So for now I'll stare into their eyes, memorize the sweetness of their round cheeks and chubby legs, and hold onto precious little hands; little girl hands that will one day bear the ring of a man who will take her away from us to start a new covenant family, little boy hands that will one day be bigger than mine. I'll play dolls with a little girl who will grow up and have real babies, hold close a fat baby boy who will one day hold his own fat babes. I'll answer the same question (lately: "How you doin', mama?") a hundred times, read the same books all day long, and do the "ABC's letters" (ABC flascards) again and again. I'll play puzzles and change diapers and clean up the endless messes that come with the true bliss (and extreme challenge!) that is motherhood.

May God give me grace to do it all with joy. Because one day the diapers and toys and flashcards and picture books and messes will be gone, and no one will be in the crib in the other room to wake me up to nurse (or just to snuggle) during the night. One day the little chubby feet that pitter around my house will get big and carry my babes out into the world.

When that day comes, I hope, by God's grace, to be filled with joy at the adults my babes have grown into. But I have a sneaking suspicion that I will miss these sweet 'little years'.