My Sweet Babies

Pure love at 3 months and 3 years, respectively. Where did these babies go?

I've hit a new stage in my journey as a parent. I used to be able to look at old photos and say to the kids, "Wow! You've grown." Now I'll run across old photos and say, "Is that you?"

Of course, I know my children are, in fact, the babies in the photos. (Unless there are changelings involved, and some days I truly believe that's possible.) And I remember every step of the way from there to here--but not always, and not all at once.

There are too many memories in between for me to store them all in the front of my mind, so they have moved from my RAM to my ROM. I feel so blessed to have those memories, and so many of them, but I get that feeling sometimes. Like when you're on a familiar drive, commuting, and thinking through a tough problem in your mind and then, all of a sudden, you're there...well, I'm here.

I love the things my children have learned and done in the years they've been with us, and I can't wait to see what they do next. I look with pride on their physical selves, with all the signs of their personalities becoming imprinted on them--both have the wiry muscles that come from a never-stop, never-say-die attitude toward climbing and swimming, S. has the presence of an artist and the sparkling smile of a true humorist, while A. has the big eyes and thoughtful brow of an observer and thinker.

I love seeing their bodies and personalities develop in concert, but any rite of passage tends to make me sigh for a moment. I remember both of their first skinned knees, the first marks on their perfect baby skin. I loved what it meant--that they had tackled the world (literally, in the case of my kids!) and had adventures and gone for it! I also sighed for what it meant--they grew up a little that day.

Add up all the days between then and now....Sigh.

Okay, I'm finished. I can't wait to see what they tackle next!

Keep building!

Keep climbing!