Don't Miss This

Reflecting on Grace's second birthday reminds me how quickly time really goes by. Her brother hit some milestones recently: he's teething, and eating solid food for the first time. Sometimes it seems Gracie accomplished those same milestones just weeks ago...

The day before Grace was born.
I was 41 weeks...

When I was pregnant with Grace, I tried to enjoy my pregnancy as much as I could. I loved to feel her move in my belly. Feeling your baby move is an experience women only get to enjoy for a few months out of their entire lives. I loved the idea that only she and I knew when she was awake, or when she had the hiccups. It was like a secret club, and I was the leader.

Despite the fatigue and unavoidable aches and pains that come with pregnancy, I had a really good experience. I still felt pretty much like myself, I was just able to see the bottom of my belly button for the first time.

I did tend to cry more easily. A lot of jokes are made about pregnant women suddenly bursting into tears while watching commercials. (My favorite is still the LifeSavers commercial with the son and father watching the sun go down.) I had my tearful t.v. moment just four months into my pregnancy with Grace. It wasn't a sappy Hallmark commercial, or even a family drama. It was... um, Celebrity Apprentice.

This was 2008, when Trace Adkins was up against Piers Morgan as a finalist. Trace sang "You're Gonna Miss This" on the finale. I was fine (okay, maybe a little teary) through most of the song, until the part about the plumber and his "babies". When Trace sang that line, I lost it. Burst into tears while my astonished husband looked on. I couldn't help it. My daughter was only four months in utero, and I was already imagining her thirty years old and on her own.

The chorus of this song goes through my head often as I watch my kids. I sing it when I am doing something typical and repetitive, like washing sippy cups for the thousandth time, or putting another onesie on the baby because he spit up on the one I changed just ten minutes ago.  The ups and downs of parenting can be challenging, but often it's the mundane that has me dreaming of a permanent vacation. There always seems to be a never ending supply of household chores and needy children.

My secret club has disbanded. Gracie and I no longer share the secret of hiccups, and Mark no longer kicks my ribs to let me know he's about to start a party. These memories remind me that they won't be little forever; the attitude I choose during the tough times can make all the difference. So I try to cherish. I savor the moments I can, and have an attitude of "This Too Shall  Pass" when changing yet another diaper. After just two years, I'm already looking back with nostalgia and I know: someday I'm going to miss this.

If you're in a location where you can use your sound, you can listen to Trace Adkins "You're Gonna Miss This" by clicking here:


If you're unable to play the song, here's the third line and the chorus that sent me over the edge...

Five years later there's a plumber, workin' on the water heater,
Dogs barkin', phones ringin', one kid's cryin', one kids screamin',
And she keeps apologizing, he says "They don't bother me.
I've got two babies of my own, one's thirty-six, one's twenty-three."

It's hard to believe, but

You're gonna miss this, You're gonna want this back

You're gonna wish these days, Hadn't gone by so fast

These are some good times, So take a good look around

You may not know it now, But you're gonna miss this