In Time

My little nephew Reid turns two this week. Two!

Last year on his birthday poor Caroline had a really bad UTI and was sick, sick, sick. I remember wearing her in the Moby pretty much through Reid's entire birthday party.

I think maybe my mom held her for a bit, but she felt so bad she just wanted to snuggle up and sleep.



And I thought Andrew seemed so big that day. He was older than most of the other kids at the party because it was a party for one year olds. He sat at the table and finished a whole cupcake. He tried so hard not to run off with Reid's brand new birthday toys, although I think the Thomas the Train ride-on toy was too much temptation for him. He stayed up super late watching the Rangers with the adults and didn't get fussy.



And that was a whole year ago!

Time.

It's a funny thing, especially for moms.

We see them every day. We think we know them. Their daily routines and what they want for breakfast.

But if we didn't see them every day, what would we notice in just a week?



Their hair may be a little longer. They may want a banana instead of grapes. Maybe she wants to sit in your lap while you read rather than run off and look for something new.

And what does time do to us?

Maybe our laugh lines are a little deeper, our hips a little wider.

But we live and we laugh and we're wiser because of all that time.

I know so often I want to slow time down with these little ones. Sometimes I can't bear the thought of them getting too big to sit in my lap or ride in the front of the grocery cart.

But then I think...he'll be ready to ride a bike soon. And before I know it he'll be reading the book to me instead of the other way around.



And that's just crazy to me! I'll know them a little bit better this time next year (when Reid turns three!) than I do now, and they'll know me a little better too.

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These photos are from exactly one month ago, and I swear they look different already!