Ever wonder why the time with your little ones has to go by so dang fast? You spend the first couple of weeks after they are born in a daze due to lack of sleep, hormone changes and an emotional roller coaster that’s a combination of excitement and feelings of what the heck did we just get ourselves into.
By the time you get somewhat back on solid footing the short newborn phase is over and baby’s growth takes off at the speed of light it seems.
Why can’t they stay little forever?
You feel so busy around changing diapers, the never-ending cycle of dirty laundry, dishes, feeding baby, etc. that you stop to think have I even just really HELD my baby today and looked into his eyes, at his expressions and smelled his sweet baby smell.
It’s a revolving door of changing clothes sizes that you can’t put something in the diaper bag to have for a just in case moment because by the time you get to it your kids will have outgrown it. Better keep an eye on the clothes you think are cute and check if they fit because chances are they won’t fit a few days after that.
So how do we enjoy the special moments with our children who change constantly and remember them to look back on at a future date?
I have employed a few ideas that have helped ease the cold hard truth that our kids are going to continue to grow each day and we can’t stop it.
- Make the moments you do have with them COUNT.
Amid the responsibilities I have as a mother, wife, homemaker, career woman etc. I try to have a meaningful moment with my children every day. The laundry can wait a few moments when my infant has really snuggled into my chest and is sleeping, allowing me to study his many expressions and sweet baby features. When my daughter wants me to color with her or wants up on the counter to help me bake, I try to focus on her excitement and curiosity of filling muffin tins with batter and try to ignore the mess for the moment. (More to come on how having a type A personality can clash with the mess that is motherhood).
- Record special moments and memories as they occur because we ALL have mom brain to some degree and will likely forget.
I use the notes app on my phone and have a designated note for both my children. When my daughter says a new word or I want to remember my son’s chubby cheeks I find time that day to type the date on the note and type what I want to remember about them.
- I use an app called Qeepsake-
They send me a question via text message each week with a question such as What trait does your daughter have that you hope she keeps as she gets older? I am able to record my response and add a picture. At the bottom of each response it reads how old your child is. It is quick and easy and allows you to keep an online journal of your kids despite being a busy mom. (There is also an option to have it made into a book, a gift idea for family members).
- I take pictures and videos but not TOO many-
It is wonderful to be able to document moments and look back and reminisce, however in my experience sometimes I am so focused on taking a picture, striking the perfect pose, posting or sharing my photos that I miss my kids doing what I am trying to document.
I told my sister a while back that I wasn’t going to take as many pictures because I didn’t want to watch my daughter grow up through a camera lens. I want to watch my kids play and learn and capture some moments with my own eyes because soon those moments will be gone. Sometimes I purposefully leave my phone in my pocket and am fully present with my kids.
- Organize photos and memories-
Instead of spending all my down time when kids are napping etc. on social media, I have tried to edit, move and organize photos and written memories so they are easier to locate. Plus revisiting pictures and videos of my kiddos seems to be much more uplifting than a lot of the negativity in the media now a days.
- DON’T be afraid of time passing or inevitable change-
Change is what brings growth. I experienced this just yesterday as my 2 month old son smiled at me for the first time while laying on my shoulder looking up at me. I realized that as much as I didn’t want the newborn phase to be over with how cuddly, small and sweet he was, I wouldn’t have ever seen my baby boy’s big grin if time hadn’t passed.
Although the quick passing of time can be hard and make us feel overwhelmed and sad, it can be a healthy phenomena.
You can try things like making moments really count, recording in the notes app on your phone, using online journaling apps such as Qeepsake, taking photos but not too many, organizing photos and memories as you go so as to enjoy them and lastly not being afraid of the quick passage of time.
I would love to hear what helps you get through kids growing up so quickly, leave your thoughts in the comments!
Disclaimer: Use all general, life, parenting advice contained herein at your own risk