Where did my baby go?

The past few days I have seen more and more of my baby disappear, and more of a little girl appearing.  Emma will carry on a conversation with you, come up with some of the craziest things, and her facial expressions are adorable.  Last night she started writing on her chalk board then yelled "I write O"  we looked around and she had written an O.  She continued to write more o's and jump with laughter after each one.  As I sat there squealing with her in joy, I realized another part of my baby was leaving.

Where does the time go?  I remember finding out I was pregnant like it was yesterday, only it wasn't.  I have told several people that the 2 1/2 years before having Emma seemed like forever, but the 2 1/2 years since having Emma has flown by.  How can time feel different when it is the same time span?  Do you remember being little and going on vacation, it took forever to get there but coming back you seemed to get home faster.  Maybe it is the excitement, the anticipation, or maybe just a mind trick.

I think this makes it even more important that we take in the moment.  The moments will pass so quickly leaving us wonder where the days and years went.  We need to take a moment and soak in the world around us.  During the recent snow days I have just held Em, I have watched her sleep, watched her play, and just looked at her.  She is changing and growing up so fast, but I want to remember these days.  The days that she wants me to hold her, wants me to cuddle her, and is our little girl. 

All too soon she will be wanting to hang out with her friends, will not want me to cuddle her or hold her, and will be forming her independence.  Maybe if I am lucky she will still want to have Mommy and Emma dates, and let me cuddle her.  Even if she does tolerate my cuddles, there will still come a day that she is no longer living at home.  I huge part of my heart will be on her own.  that is hard to even think about, but I have to realize that the day will come. 

So take in the moment, cuddle them a little longer, hug them a little tighter, and let them know how much they are loved.  Even though they will be on their own one day, we need to ensure them of the love for them.  The world will tell them that they are not good enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough, and not enough.  However, we have to ensure that they do know that they are enough!  Be sure to tell them all of the good things because the world will be very quick to tell them all of the bad things.  I am not suggesting that we boost their ego, or put them on a pedestal.  However, I am saying that we tell them how wonderful they are.  Remember they are a gift from God, and we should treat them like the precious gift that they are.