Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Years Are Short

Last week, I took the Cam Man to his pediatrician for his eighteen-month checkup.  Two things happened while we were in the exam room:  1.) I learned that Camster is huge.  He's taller than your average two-year old!  (McHubby has dreams of Cam playing pro ball, starring on an NBA team, and retiring us early!)  And 2.) Cam's doctor slapped me in the face.

Okay, not literally slapped me in the face.  Let me explain.

At the conclusion of the checkup, and after going through the list of immunizations Cam was about to receive, Dr. Super Cool said to me (and I MUST call her that because her skirts are very bohemian, her jewelry is always funky, she sports leopard print frames, and she's reeeeaallly smart):  "You'll want to schedule Camren's two-year old checkup before you leave today.  After that, I'll only need to see him once a year."


I just sat there.

"Wow," I said, "wow."  (Articulate, right?  I mean, that's all I could say.)

Dr. Super Cool smiled and pushed those awesome frames up to the bridge of her nose.  She said, "I know.  Can you believe it?  He's quickly growing up.  I no longer need to see him for well-child checkups every three months.  Your Camren isn't a baby anymore."

See?  See?  Slap in the face!

I have to admit I was a little glum for the remainder of the day.  As I looked at my lovable, chunky boy, I thought, "What happened to my baby?!  What  happened to the baby boy I would rock and rock and rock to sleep at night?  Was he ever an infant?  So small?  So fresh from heaven?"

Time does pass quickly, and babies do grow up fast.

In her book, The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin (mother of two) writes:  "Today I'm pushing Eleanor in a stroller; one day she'll be pushing me in a wheelchair...Each day, each phase of life seems long, but the years pass so quickly; I want to appreciate the present time, the seasons, this time of life...The days are long, but the years are short."

We do have long days as mothers; days filled with laundry, cooking, vacuuming, grocery shopping, driving children to school, mopping, sweeping, kissing boo-boos, picking up toys, arranging play dates, drying tears, chasing toddlers.  It can be monotonous.  It can be hard.  It can be exhausting.

And then, in a blink of an eye, our babies are grown-ups. 

I want to make more of an effort to enjoy every ordinary day; every small and seemingly insignificant moment.  One day I won't have toys to pick up off of the stairs.  I won't have tiny socks to tuck into dresser drawers.  I won't have sticky hands to hold.

The years are short, indeed.


  1. This had me bawling. Why do they grow so fast?? Mine turns 2 in June and I feel like if I blink enough times I will realize she is still this tiny little baby coming home from the hospital. Helps me appreciate each day, each moment better. Thank you for the post!

  2. This post reminds me of a little poem from long ago that was my motto:
    "Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow,
    For babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.
    So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
    I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."
    Enjoy those sweet times with your little man - they make such wonderful memories!

  3. How true this is! I am reminded of that DAILY as I watch Addison prepare for his senior year of high school and talk of a mission that will soon be here. I see it when Ethan works on writing his alphabet and talks about Kindergarten. My children are so wide spread in age but... I never forget how fast they grow because of Addison.
    I love you Aleisha! We need to have you down for dinner or a date with our hubby's. It is tragic that you live so close and I don't take advantage of your "sunshine". Thats about to change. EMail me your phone number.

  4. this is a beautiful post, one of my favorites that I have read out in blog land for a while. you are a fabulous writer, and I would LOVE for you to write something similar to this for LMM! what do you think? xoxo, ashley

