Three years….wow, this doesn’t seem possible! That’s 1095 days since we have been parents
to this precious bundle of joy!!! I know
it’s cliché but it just went by so fast, I can hardly believe it. It seems like I just blinked and he went from
the chubby little 8 pound bundle to this tall, slim little boy who is full of
life and energy. Most moms get emotional
around their child’s birthday as we reminisce those precious moments when our
sweet babies entered this world, the first time we laid eyes on them, held them
close and drank in their intoxicating scent and saw the joy on the faces of
those who saw him or her for the first time.
If your journey to motherhood was even slightly bumpy, you can’t help
but think back on those nights spent wondering if you would ever have the
chance to experience these incredible joys for yourself. In looking back on those tearful, sleepless
nights, it’s painful and wonderful all at the same time. The hurt is like a bruise….if you push on it,
you remember it’s there, but you are easily distracted by the joy that has now
filled your heart with this tiny person whose life is now an extension of your
own.
For the past three years at this time, I have been reminded
of the overwhelming power of a mother’s love.
I always knew this was an incredible force that could not be compared to
anything, and despite my friends warning me that it would hit me like a tidal
wave, I was still not prepared for the intensity of this emotion and bond. I did not carry my son. I did not feel him
move inside my womb. I did not have 9 months to nourish and bond with him. I did not have any labor pains. I did not see his first breath or hear his first
cry. I was not the first person to touch
him, hold him or feed him. I was not
even the first person to love him……the overwhelming power of a mother’s love is
exactly what brought my son to me. I cannot
think about my son’s birthday without thinking about the woman who so
selflessly gave him the gift of life and in turn, gave me the gift of the
greatest love humanly possible.
Mother’s Day is only a few days before my son’s birthday and
it used to be one of the toughest days of the year for me. In fact, this time 5 years ago, we had just
gotten the negative results from our last round of invitro and I was
devastated. I knew in the moments after
that phone call that this was not the end of our journey but I had no idea what
the next 2 years would bring us. We went
through the absolute worst of circumstances before we were chosen by Jase’s
birth mother. And then, our lives were
forever changed by one woman who chose life, for Jase and for us.
Anyone who has children can relate to how our lives have
been changed over the past 3 years. We
have swapped tv murder mysteries for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We used to throw on our shoes and leave the
house without a plan or a timeline. Now,
we don’t leave without a night-night, sucker, sippy cup, pull-ups and a change
of clothes! Our conversations are
focused around questions like, “When did he pee last?” or “Has he pooped today?”
or “How many boxes of raisins did you eat?!”
Our tidy house is now cluttered with trains, tractors, and trucks. We laugh at the most hilarious antics of a
now 3 year old that I’m certain most people wouldn’t even smile about! And we absolutely love how much this sweet
boy has changed our lives, our focus and our priorities!
Last night, while talking about how fast the last 3 years
have seemed to have flown by, I told JP that if we have learned nothing else
from our journey to family, we have learned that there are very few things in
this life that we can control. And
sometimes, the thing that we seem to have the least control over becomes the
part of our lives we love the most!! I
am so genuinely serious when I say, don’t waste a moment to enjoy your
children. I used to roll my eyes when
people would say, “Don’t blink, they grow up fast!” Now I know it is the
absolute truth! And you never know when
it will be the last time…….the last time you rock your baby to sleep, the last
time you are asked to read just one more story, the last time you get to carry
your sleeping child to bed, the last time they ask you to play with them, the
last time they want to hold your hand or just sit near you, the last time they
think you know everything and are stronger than anyone on earth. I’m not sharing sage words of new found
advice, I’m just reminding you that their lives are too short to be so busy you
don’t savor every moment of their childhood.
After all, there are only 940 Saturdays from birth until they leave for
college. It’s our job to spend them
wisely!
