Saying Good-Bye and Saying Hello

It seems like all of a sudden and yet incredibly too fast our three E's are saying good-bye to what they were and hello to a new portion of their lives. It's are very surreal to me and very bitter sweet.

When I sat down to start this post I was reminded about a book that my dear friend Debbie from Wisconsin mailed me for my birthday a couple of years ago, Let Me Hold You Longer By Karen Kingsbury. So many parents (including me) get so caught up in the first that their children experience that often we don't recognize the lasts. Let Me Hold You Longer reminds you to try and recognize those lasts and cherish them. The book makes me cry every time I read it. Lasts like the last nap, or the last time your child walks over to you and holds his arms up to be held, or the last time your son says that he wants to marry you.

When I picked up the book and opened it up just now, I read the inscription that Debbie wrote, "Brandi, As I'm sure you've discovered over the past year - time really does go too fast when you have a child in your home! Enjoy everyday - the "bad" ones fade from memory and HAPPY ones live forever! Love, Debbie" March 31, 2006. It brought tears to my eyes when I read that. I, too often allow myself to get too caught up in what is happening in my life with my kids that I don't take time to smell the roses so to speak...Even if the sweet smell of roses is replaced with the smell of dirty diapers, spit up, and a sweaty 5 year old, it's a sweet smell that's only unique to me and I LOVE every bit of it!!!!

So to get on with my good-bye/hellos...

The twins, we long ago said good-bye to their beloved Papasans and Papasan swing and now, last week we said to good-bye to their big baby swing because they didn't like it anymore since they couldn't sit up straight enough. We've said hello to babies who are both sitting up and wanting to explore their surroundings more and more. We're saying good-bye to pretty bumper pads and crib mattresses in the highest position. We've said good-bye to the days that we could sit them down and walk out of the room and hello to them wiggling and scooting and trying to crawl. We're saying hello to solid foods and highchairs...just to name a few.

With my oldest E...oh my my!!! We've now said good-bye to Preschooler and hello to the term, Kindergartner! YIKES!! We've said good-bye to the little boy who would wear whatever his Mommy picked out for him and hello to a strange little boy, who only wants "Cool Clothes and NOT Pretty Clothes" who has to pick out his own clothes. We've said good-bye to the little boy who would only watch Go Diego Go and hello to a boy who refers to that as a "Baby Show" and hello to one who wants to watch shows that Mommy isn't yet okay with. Hello to a boy who likes to watch shows like Camp Rock and now wants the CD and knows who the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus are. Good-bye to baby songs and hello to songs like "Step in side, walk this way, you and me....", "Start the Party", etc., plus a few that he shouldn't know. LOL!Good-bye to a little boy who thought girls were gross and hello to one who uses the term, HOT! Good-bye to a once shy and timid and hello to a rough and tough BOY (okay that was a good-bye said years ago) but hello to one who is now signed up to play 5/6 year old TACKLE football...yes Tackle, not Flag! With this ever changing boy, the list could go on and on.

Oh my sweet baby boy is growing up way too fast! It often seems like only yesterday we were giving E his 5 am bottle and spoon feeding him solid foods and now he is starting Kindergarten on Friday!

All of these Good-bye/Hellos are so bitter sweet for me. It is awesome to witness each of my children grow and change but sad at the same time. As reality slaps me in the face and reminds me that the three of them will not always be as young and innocent as they each are right now, I ask for one more snuggle one more kiss, and one more hug from all of them while they are just exactly what they are right now!

So here are Evan's COOL clothes and a few that we compromised on...can you tell that he's really into graphic tee's?

I thought the babies were sleeping peacefully, but kept hearing something strange. I went in to check on them and this is what I found...talk about a good-bye/hello moment!!!






After more noises...this. Notice the sleep positioner, on his left.


Okay, now it's time to get him up... and notice he's moved the sleep positioner yet again.

Yes, certainly a good time for the mattress to be moved!

And Ella, still sleeping like a Princess! There isn't a good-bye moment here (yet anyway) she still sleeps exactly like she has from the day she was born.