What you can't know

Before you have kids, you really can't know how fast the time is going to go. Sure, people tell you all the time that time goes by in the blink of an eye when you have little ones, but you can't really understand it (even though you think you do). Maybe you've got an infant who needs to eat every 3 hours, and it's feeling that has been going on f-o-r-e-v-e-r and that it will continue to go on f-o-r-e-v-e-r.

The reality is that each stage goes by pretty much as soon as you get used to it. And then you turn around and your baby boy is nearly shoulder-high and getting taller every day, learning more and more about the world and his role in it. Your baby girl is a competent, spirited first grader. You stop and say to yourself "But they were just babies ten minutes ago!"

I know we're not perfect parents, but we do the best we can. Sure, we lose our tempers, we lack the patience we're asking for from our kids (irony!). But we always do the best we can to make the best decisions for our kids, who are such a gift to us. Time is so fleeting and it's not going to be long before they're grown.

I always say that I wish there were a way you could 'record' a day in your life at each age with your kids, so you can replay it and relive it. I know that those baby days would be even sweeter if I could get back to them with the full knowledge of how quickly they will pass. I look back at pictures of the kids when they were one and two...seems like so long ago! Thankfully, every age has its own special elements, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for these beautiful children of ours!