cultivate (kuhl - tuh - veyt)
v. 1) develop 2) nurture

graft (grahft)
n. 1) transplant 2) bud 3) union

Monday, December 3, 2012

Moments Versus Milestones

I'd like to introduce you to our newest family member.
This is our sweet Jubilee!


She was born last month, healthy and dearly loved. Even if the former weren't a reality, the latter would still hold true. We all are quite smitten with this wee bundle.

There's something unique in knowing you're facing your last pregnancy, last labor, last delivery, last newborn, last...everything. I was very intentional throughout this pregnancy to savor every moment possible.* I even tried to soak in the miracle of labor and delivery.**

In the first few days of Jubilee's life, her sisters wanted to hold her non-stop. They were just as taken with how precious life is. After being asked for the umpteenth time, I told my oldest there would be plenty of days to hold her. Her answer resonated with me in a very tangible way. She said, "Yes, but not when she's this little." I looked my nine year-old in the eyes, and had to admit she was right. Have nine years really gone by since I was first made a mama? With Mikayla everything was new (shout out to all firstborns!) and it was so easy to get caught up in the milestones. I feel like I spent more time waiting in anticipation of what she would do next than truly reveling in what she was currently doing. Jubilee has already taught me an invaluable lesson:

Savor the moments, not the milestones.

There will always be new milestones, new achievements, new goals. Just don't let the moments go unnoticed. Moments are the stuff of life. I doubt Mikayla will be truly impressed that I cataloged her first smile. To be honest, I don't really care if anyone knows when she first sat up on her own. I want each of my children to know they are loved. I want the love of their family and their God to be firmly etched on their hearts and visible in their lives. That simply cannot be accomplished through baby books and a bazillion pictures. It can only be accomplished in the moments.***

I'm learning what a gift it is to be surprised by the milestones. Instead of pushing our oldest to learn to ride her bicycle without training wheels, she surprised us by figuring it out herself. There were no tears and no frustrations; just good old fashioned joy in the moment. The first tooth will pop out eventually (as will the rest of them). I will get around to taking a picture of their toothless smiles, but first we're going to celebrate those little steps toward growing up.

So, it is with joy (and a tad bit of nostalgia) that I look into this new chapter of life. I'm hanging up my maternity clothes and challenging myself to savor each precious, fleeting moment.


Each beautiful moment...



Overwhelmed With Blessings,
Cynthia


P.S. This was the last maternity shirt I wore. How fitting!****




*Yes, even the nausea and middle-of-the-night bathroom trips.
**Yeah, that one was a little bit tougher. More on that later (for those who care to read that kind of stuff).
***Don't get me wrong. Baby books are fantastic, and I love doing them for my girls. But they take a big, fat back seat to actually spending time with my girls.
****Aaaand thankfully it doesn't fit anymore.

8 comments:

  1. I am right there with you! Asher was our last pregnancy. I actually got pretty hung up on the "this is the last ____ ever", last pregnancy, last baby kick in my tummy, last nursling.... I am trying to savor all those moments, and to let them all linger a little longer than with the others. Although at the end of my pregnancy I was ready to be done forever...had a hard time savoring that, and the thought of never facing another c-section was a comfort! But of course right after I missed it already!
    Oh, and Asher doesn't even HAVE a baby book...maybe someday I'll get one, lol!
    Enjoy each moment. So much gratitude for the lives in our care :)

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  2. I didn't realize you had c-sections. Oi! Amen to no more of those!
    My mom-in-law makes baby books for each of our girls. All I have to do is fill in dates and add pictures. I can handle that!

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    1. Thats awesome! Thank God for Mother-in-laws! Mine takes most of the pix I have of the kids...something I'm NOT great about.
      Ya...had 4 c-sections...not my favorite, and a big part of why there will be no more little ones from this Mama!

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  3. How wise you are for one so young.... We gave up on baby books. Life happens.

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    1. Coming from you, that means a great deal.
      Also, thank you for referring to me as "one so young".

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  4. Moments are so important not only for the reasons you mention, but also because you never know when a "moment" will be the "last moment" for that experience. I believe if we fully enjoy the moments we have while we experience them, then we will fully live life - and miss a lot less of the richness of life!

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