Cherish

I have enjoyed Walter as a newborn more than I ever enjoyed a new baby before. Don't get me wrong, I've always loved the newborn stage, and I adored every one of my babies. But this time is different. 

This time, I'm not a first time mom anxiously navigating the steep newborn learning curve. I'm also not a mom to a newborn and a toddler trying to nurse a baby while also entertaining said toddler or dressing a pre-schooler with one arm. 

This time around, I have older kids who are truly helpful, and I've done this enough times to feel calm and confident in myself. This time around, I know just how short the newborn phase is, so I don't feel the need to rush back in to life.

This time around I'm happy to sit and nurse a baby, to revel in his perfection, to accept more help, to let the dishes sit in the sink, to gather my big kids around and pause as we all just stare at this perfect little miracle. 

This time around, I've learned to truly cherish this time and season, and I feel so thankful for these moments! 

 

Having Walter and cherishing this time with him has served as a great reminder to slow down and cherish all of my kids, exactly as they are. To remember that even though the learning curve may be steep or their phase in life a challenging one, they will never be just like this again. All too soon they'll be moving on to the next stage, and I'm sure in hindsight, I'll miss these moments profoundly. So in no particular order, here are a few things I'm cherishing right now. 

Eliza started Young Women's this year. She was so excited! She was especially excited to attend the temple. The girls had a trip planned, but she was unsure how things went and asked if I could take her first. We enjoyed a beautiful afternoon together in the temple, and she left feeling confident about attending again with the other girls. 

 

She also recently decided to make this giant hoodie. She begged for weeks for me to help her figure out a pattern and execute the harder bits of sewing. It was hard to clear away the distractions and make time for this project, but I cherish the time we spent together working on this and love our final result! 

I cherish these two boys so much. They can be loud, rowdy, and messy. But they can also be incredibly sweet and thoughtful. They clean up pretty well too! 

I have loved watching Orson in his role as big brother. He is so loving and gentle with Walter. Today he shouted from the couch where he was holding Walter, "Mom, do you hear how happy this baby is?" 

I also cherished watching Conrad loose his first tooth. Never have I seen a child so excited about a wiggly tooth for weeks on end. When it finally came out, he made a point to show EVERYONE! 

One afternoon just a few days before Walter was born when the weather was slightly warmer and the snow mostly melted, Michael dragged us all out of the house to go fishing. The younger kids fished while the older girls walked around the pond and chatted. It turned out to be a cherished afternoon with my favorite people! 

I cherish the time I get with these kids as we homeschool! How lucky is it that I get to have them everyday?!? Before Walter was born I tried to squeeze in a few special days since I knew school would take a backseat for a bit. We had a wonderful poetry tea party one afternoon and we all loved it! 

Lenora can be such a goofball, but I adore the fun and laughs she brings to our home. Here she is as the "window washer lady." She only washes windows during important meetings. And if anyone makes eye contact with her, she'll challenge them to rock, paper, scissors. Where does she come up with these things??

The moments I cherish most with Hazel right now are our weekly drives to and from choir at 7:30am on Saturday mornings. I don't love getting out of the house so early on the weekend, but I do love the one-on-one time with this sweet girl. She's such a fabulous teenager! All too soon she'll be driving herself to all of her activities and then when will we chat and catch up?? 

I'm so thankful for these tiny miracles and all these moments! On the long, exhausting days I'm trying to remember to pause and cherish our season of life.