Those Normal Days I Cherish Most

Yesterday #4 had taken a long nap and when he woke up I went in to nurse him in my usual chair that I always sit in to feed him.  After he was done he looked up at me with this sweet smile, saying “I’m done mom, thanks :)”  I snuggled him and burped him and he gave me a dry burp {not very common} and then he just cooed in my lap as I looked in his happy smiling eyes.  It’s strange that a baby so young and small can show that much love in their eyes.  Then I went to hold him up to my shoulder when he decided it was time to relieve himself, making a very loud noise.  {which by the way, isn’t it funny when babies do that while your holding them in relief society and it’s completely acceptable, and we all chuckle} He was happy and content so I decided since he was being so snuggly laying on my shoulder I would hold him there longer before I changed him.  After a couple minutes of him just snuggling up to my shoulder I felt something warm on my shirt, I looked down and low and behold I had yellow baby poop all over my shirt, his outfit and his blanket.  I just started laughing.  I thought “and this is how you repay my kindness? :)”  I feed you and then you snuggle up to me and poop on me.  I wasn’t mad, I didn’t care.  I love that baby so much and really how can you not when they look at you like this… The other day my husband said he couldn’t wait until he didn’t have to get our kids to be obedient and I said “It is going to go by so fast that you will miss the things we did for our kids when your an old man, you will miss all the little things we had to do for them every single day.”  For me there are days when I think, man it would be nice to not have to change a diaper, have spit up all over my shirt, clean up after my kids, or discipline them.  Then I start to think about how sad the day will be when my kids are not my own anymore, when they are gone, married, on missions, living their own lives.  It breaks my heart that they will live more days of their life without me than with me…isn’t that a strange thought.  We work so hard as mothers, as parents to raise our kids, to teach them and love them and help them to be independent, kind and loving people and then we just have to let them go.  Obviously it’s part of life and we all go though it, but it’s hard for me to comprehend.  I tell my kids a lot that they better still be close to me when they grow up, that they better call me and visit ALL THE TIME!  I read this quote today and loved it…

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. Let me hold you while I may, for it may not always be so. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in the pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return. – Mary Jean Iron

I need to cherish all the moments I have with my little ones, and my husband because it won’t always be the same, life is always changing.  Look at the mundane, everyday things we do with our children and be grateful for them because like every old person that  I meet says to me, “enjoy your time with them now because they grow up to fast”.  It’s true they really do. 

I love my kids so much, and as hard as life can be at time with the struggles we go through with each of our children, remember how fast the time goes and enjoy that time you have with them, because they will be gone before you know it taking care of their own children and calling you daily to get help and advise on how to do it. 

So my Happy Thought #4 -  I am grateful for my awesome kids and wonderful husband who make my days full of life {whether hard or easy, happy or sad}!