These Are the Moments

On my wedding day, I remember someone giving me the advice to take mental pictures throughout the day so as to better remember the small things.  One in particular that I remember is of me and my maid of honor riding in her car with the sunroof open.  We had just gotten our hair done at the salon, my veil was pinned in place, and our heads were out the window.  We passed by a fire truck and they honked at us.  That memory makes me remember how happy I was to be getting married, how beautiful I felt, and how excited I was to move and start life with my husband.

I've been telling myself lately to take more mental pictures.  There's nothing like having babies to show you how fast time flies.  Yesterday the mental picture I took was of my sweet little Vera staring at me while I did my hair in the bathroom mirror.  I slowed down enough to take note of how intently she was watching me.  She was genuinely interested in what I was doing and just wanted to be near me.  How precious she is.  How loved I felt.

Slow down.  Be present in life.  Don't let life pass you by.

These have been my mantras lately to remind myself of what's important.  I have told several people that the transition for us going from 1 to 2 kids has been much easier than going from 0 to 1.  I think it's because in the beginning I had tried to fit Vera into my pre-baby lifestyle; running around, going from place to place, checking off my to do list, keeping a perfectly clean home all the time, cooking ambitious meals, etc.  About 8 or 9 months in, my epiphany was that in order to be a calmer, happier person, I needed to make some changes.  So, I simplified life.  I am one of those moms who stays at home more than she goes out.  We go on a lot of walks.  We go to the park, to the library, and we play a lot in the backyard.  And there are days that we do run errands, but most of the time, we are home.  And I like it that way.  It has made me slow down in life and I'm taking more mental pictures because one day my babies will be grown up and I want to savor the sweet times we're having.

When both girls are in the backseat screaming their heads off...these are the moments.

When Vera is giggling from being tickled by her daddy...these are the moments.

When it's just me and Lydia up in the middle of the night and she sweetly coos and makes all those cute newborn noises...these are the moments.

When applesauce hits the wall and spaghetti is on the carpet...these are the moments.