Soak it up

That’s what I’m told to do.  That’s what I try to do.  Soak it ALL up!

When my 18 month old ends up in my bed EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, soak it up.

When she whines and whines without using actual words so I have no idea what she wants, soak it up.

When she finally feels confident in her feet and climbing abilities that she becomes a little clumsy and starts falling off every piece of furniture in the house and screaming her little baby head off, soak it up.

When she takes too long of an evening nap and decides that she is going to party until midnight, soak it up.

When she has a break down in the middle of the produce section at the grocery store because I asked her to pick up the two pumpkins that she pulled down, soak it up.

When she stares at the plate of food I’ve prepared and won’t take one bite, soak it up.

When she wants to read a book, but won’t let me actually read it and just turns the pages and gets angry when I don’t let her because I want to know how the story ends, soak it up.

When it’s bedtime and I’m trying to do the nightly routine and she just grunts and points to anywhere and anything to do except go to bed, soak it up.

When she says, “I yuv you!” soak it up.

When she kisses me, those moments can be rare, soak it up.

When her little fuzzy head that wasn’t combed after bath the night before tickles my cheek in the morning, soak it up.

When she just sits with me on the couch and watches TV while she eats an apple, or two, soak it up.

When she cackles and cackles while I chase her through the house butt naked because she escaped while I was changing her diaper, soak it up.

When she hugs me goodbye before I leave for work, soak it up.

When she folds her hands and bows her head while we pray for our food, before bed or at church, soak it up.

When she shouts, “AMEN” before the prayer is even over, soak it up.

Parenthood isn’t about just soaking up the happy times and fun times, it’s about soaking it ALL up. 

I’m reminded every day that Wren won’t want to sleep in the bed with us when she is a teenager.  Soon she will learn to talk and use all kinds of words and I might miss a little whine here and there.  I can survive off of a few hours of sleep at night, many parents have done it before me and many will continue to do it after me. She’s not the only kid that has ever pitched a fit in the grocery store and I’m not the first mom that got judged by someone else because her kid was throwing a fit in the grocery store.

But I am her only mommy!  Yes, she might tell other people that she yuv’s them, but they don’t wake up next to her fuzzy head every morning.  Yes, she gives out kisses, but they don’t get those sleepy snuggles in the middle of the night like I do.

I will soak it up.  I will soak it ALL up.  Even when I’m frustrated, tired and ready to pull out my hair, her hair and her daddy’s hair, I WILL SOAK IT UP!

It’s already going by fast and I know I’ll look back 10 years from now and wonder where the time went, but until then you can find me with my sweet little Wren soaking it all up!!