Will You Miss This When It's Gone?

Will you miss this when it's gone? It's not a matter of "if" something will go away someday. Every step along the way is a phase; it's all temporary, for good or for bad. The question is, will you miss it? Will you miss not fitting into your clothes for 5+ months (or ever again), while you wait to become a mother? Will you miss the flutter you feel when he kicks you after a good meal? What about the bond you form during the last months, when her feet are curled up against your ribs and you push her out of the way as you try to get comfortable?

Will you miss the late night feedings, the mastitis, the seemingly endless stream of diapers during that first four months? Or what about the all-over fuzziness, the impossibly soft skin, the tiniest fingernails and little swirl on the top of his head? Will you remember the feeling of nuzzling her close to you as she passes out from nursing?

Remember that proud moment the first time he hit a developmental milestone? Remember where you were when she rolled over for the first time, or he took his first steps? Will you miss the toddler angst and food inconsistencies? Or will you miss the way he grins and giggles in his high chair as you try to entertain him and get him to chew (chew-chew!) his solids?

These moments come and go so quickly, as life moves faster and faster and the kids get bigger and older. This phase, for better or worse, will be over before you know it, and you can remember it in your rock-solid memory (sarcasm), or in something a little more reliable (speaking only from experience now) in the form of photographs. Print them, hang them small on the fridge and big on the wall. Frame them and keep them on your desk and your mantle. Pick all your favorites and put them in an album or book. Don’t leave them on your computer, where no one will ever see them.

Happy Mother's Day, dear Mamas and Mamas-to-be. May the memories you choose to keep bring you all the warm and fuzzies.