I have a business proposition for you, and it is NOT a product review.
I realize that the title this post may make you think that I’m about to talk about withholding emotions. I am not.
I want someone to create a way to bottle up a moment, capture it completely.
[It's 8:00am and OBaby begins to stir next to me. I fed him about 3 hours ago and now he is waking up for the day. "Good morning, sweet boy!" He turns his face toward my voice and a groggy-eyed grin washes over him, so happy to get to spend the day with me.]
[It's 4:30pm and I am standing, be-aproned, in the kitchen. OBaby is sitting happily in his highchair next to me gnawing on an alphabet book, when we hear DanO walk in the front door. I do a quick stir of dinner and then go into the living room to get the first kiss (Mommy ALWAYS gets the first kiss). DanO follows me back into the kitchen and goes straight for OBaby, who giggles as his daddy lifts him out of his chair, nuzzling his neck.]
[It's 6:30pm and I'm holding OBaby in the tub while DanO puts some soap onto a wash cloth and blows into it, making a bubble beard. OBaby reaches for the bubbles with squeals of excitement. The expression on his face after tasting them is priceless.]
[It's Sunday, 10:45am and we are at a worship service. DanO is holding OBaby and we are all singing,
Wonderful, so wonderful Is your unfailing love Your cross has spoken mercy over me No eye has seen no ear has heard No heart could fully know How glorious, how beautiful you are.*I turn to look at my husband and son, and it is all so perfect, I want to cry.]
[It is 10:00pm on Saturday and DanO and I are cuddling on the couch. It feels almost as though a part of our hearts is missing, sleeping in the other room. But then, it feels like our hearts are just SO much larger than they once were, too. Hand in hand, we talk about our dreams and plans as a family, about how blessed we are and how right it feels to be right where we are in life.]
Will someone, ANYONE please invent a way for me to freeze these moments – the smells, the feelings, the sounds – all of it? Put them in a bottle. I want to be able to come back to them, open them again and again. I don’t want to forget a single sensation of these moments. As normal and quotidian as they may seem now (a bath, making dinner, waking up), I know how precious, perfect, and fleeting they really are.
*Lyrics from Beautiful One by Jeremy Camp.
i think this blog does the trick :) you will love to be able to look back and see what you were feeling/thinking.
Agreed Elizabeth! Isn’t that part of why we blog? Its beautiful that you realize the preciousness of these moments now.
What a lovely thought! If you figure out how, you let me know.
Though I agree with the other comments too… I think that what you did here does at least half the job. You should do this from time to time. Maybe toss it in photoshop or a word document too and add a few pictures (or make it into a photobook eventually). What a gorgeous book of precious moments it would make.
You are bottling them up in your memory. Every part of them: Sight, sounds, fragrance…A very wise woman once told me (the hubby’s Grandma) that even though you are busy you will look back on this as the time of your life! I was a BF’ing, clothdiaper pusher, babywearin’ Momma too! My babies are now 28, 17 & 14. Enjoy every minute!
You just did! And what a wonderful way of doing it!
I really, REALLY hope reliving these precious moments whenever we want is a part of God’s plan for heaven.
Oh, what a beautiful post Allison. I have these same moments, when it hits me that I am living in the middle of one of the most precious, sacred times in my life- a time that is just filled with moments that fill up my heart with so much love and joy that I never knew were possible.
And while I know that I will be happy in the future, I’m just not sure I will ever be THIS happy- this certain brand of happy that comes with becoming a momma and falling in love with my babies. (I have two.) :o) I just love it.
And Kelly- wow. I sure hope so too- and what a wonderful thought.
That would be a great invention!
ooh, I want that, too!
I think everyone else is right, though, your post is perfect!
Although, I’m finding that as I run across other mama’s posts or see someone else’s breastfeeding picture I am immediately taken back to a moment I had forgotten in my own experience. So, if you forget or don’t get time to get someting into your blog, don’t worry. It will probably stay in your mommy-memory forever, just waiting to be be re-opened one day!
I agree with a pp – you are capturing so much simply be recording it here :) I’ve had the same thought though – I have a horrible memory, and I hate to think that so many wonderful moments are just a fleeting instant, not even semi-permanent. (sigh) Such is life . . .
Thank you for reminding me to cherish the happy moments instead of dwelling on the exhaustion over nap and bedtime battles. When every day is a struggle, it’s good to remember that I have a healthy baby girl who will never be this little again, so I should enjoy these moments with her before they are only a memory.
OK, you got me on one. I had to look up “quotidian”
STOP THE PRESSES.
My father had to look up a word that I used.
Turns out you taught me ALMOST everything I know.
(It’s probably because the first word that came to my mind was ‘quotidien’, a French word, so I looked up translations – turns out there’s an English spelling. Now you know.)
Wouldn’t that be absolutely wonderful? I imagine that’s a lot of how we’ll feel (but to a greater degree) when we’re finally completely in His presence.
So sweet. I think the way you write about them are great ways to bottle them up! Maybe keeping a journal (or blogging more) about those sweet times. That way you can look back and relive those special moments!
so well said, we all need to take time to enjoy the beauty and love in each day with those important to us…especially the little things!
Jeremy Camp is one of my favorite artists! Did you know that he is headlining the WAY-FM “Speaking Louder Than Before” tour with Chasen, Jason Gray, and The Afters? They are also giving away a FREE Jeremy Camp download! Just click on this link http://www.givmusic.com/2009/11/free-download-from-jeremy-camp/ for the free download. You can also watch a music video, check out upcoming tour information to see if they are coming to your city, AND purchase your tickets.