Eyes Wide Open

When you have a baby people offer you all sorts of odd, unsolicited, terrifying, and often contradictory pieces of advice.  One that I have heard over and over the past 9 years is “Don’t blink.”

And I have tried really hard not to.

I have tried really hard to savor the chaos.   It’s a large part of the reason why I blog.  I want to record the every day.  The funny things they say, the crazy outfits they pick out, the battles we engage in, the toys they love… and yes, even the unending laundry pile,  and the sink overflowing with dishes… Because I know what those who have gone before me have told me is true… the days are long, but the years are quick.  Before you know it, those chubby little hands turn into bony fingers and knees… While I will always be their Momma, and they will always be my babies, I won’t always have the luxury of time with them every day.  And so, I try, I TRY to remember it is a luxury… and a short lived one and I try to embrace it.

This year, I feel like Scott and I literally watched my oldest son grow up RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES. 

We didn’t blink.

I swear, we watched it happen. 

And whether you blink or not, there is no stopping it.

The year from 8-9 has been so monumental it seems.   He hasn’t been my baby for awhile, and he left toddlerhood years ago. But he’s been in school long enough, that we’ve past the early elementary years.  He’s a full fledged school aged kid, well on his way to middle school.  

*insert freak out here*

He’s gotten taller.  He comes up to my shoulder now.

He finds girls and love  gross and disgusting. 

He has a sense of humor.  He gets sarcasm. 

He’s genuinely helpful around the house.  A few weeks ago, he helped Scott spread 20 yards of mulch over a weekend.  He literally worked by Scott’s side for 11 hours.  Never asking if he was done… never looking for a way out.  It was a monumental weekend because it was the first time I think he truly grasped the value and the joy that comes from a job well done. 

He loves to read… this year The Hardy Boys and The Hobbit have been personal favorites of his. 

While he is maturing in so many ways, he still loves fantasy and his current obsession is The Lord of the Rings.  He loves dressing up and using his imagination. 

He loves playing outside. 

And I gotta tell you, I am proud of the young man he is growing up to be.  He’s sensitive and thoughtful.  He’s respectful.  He has integrity.  He’s a leader.   He loves his younger sisters and brother and truly, truly, I couldn’t have picked a better big brother for them.   He’s a loyal friend.

I marvel at the ways he’s grown over the past 9 years and I thank the Lord for His work in his life.  I see it so clearly and it humbles me and brings me to my knees in gratitude.  

My son as you open your gifts this year, I hope you know how immensely grateful Daddy and I are for the gift of you that the Lord so graciously gave us 9 years ago.