I sorted through some of Max’s old clothes last week. I didn’t cry, but these weren’t the teeny tiny newborn clothes, so all bets are off when I get to that bin. I did find myself feeling a little emotional though, looking back at things he wore a year or more ago and remembering those times. Now, I’m not one of those moms who bemoans how big her child is getting and longs for the days of babyhood. I loved the time when Maxwell was a little squishy newborn, but if it’s possible I love now even more. To interact with him, hear him talk, see him grow and learn new things, is priceless, and I wouldn’t rewind the clock if given the chance.

At the same time, it reminds me just how fast the time really is going by. I’ve heard this from several fellow moms and I think it’s so fitting:

The days are long, but the years are short.

It’s so true….when you’re stumbling through the worst of sleep deprivation and you hear a cry in the middle of the night when you swear you just fell asleep, or you remember at 9pm that you never brushed your teeth that day, the days are long. When you’re trying to make dinner and a tired, hungry toddler is clinging to your pant leg and asking you for the 847th time for something you’ve already said “no” to, the days are long. But oh, those months and years are so short. I was just pregnant with Max and here I am pregnant with another little one. My baby is a three foot tall little boy who speaks in sentences. Before we know it, he’ll be a teenager shrugging off our hugs and replying “Yeah” when we say “I love you.”

I don’t know how we got so lucky as to be blessed with Max, but believe me when I say we do not take it for granted. Sometimes I just want to fall to my knees in can’t-catch-my-breath gratitude that he’s ours. And while sometimes I wish I could freeze him right now, when he loves Mama snuggle and wants nothing more than to spend time with us, I also can’t wait to see what the coming years bring. And I will remind myself to treasure the baby times with our daughter, for they’ll be over before I know it.

I love you, Maxwell.