Treasure This Moment

I am totally a believer in letting my kids put themselves to sleep.  Don't get me wrong, I love to snuggle them and sing to them and read them a million books, but not every night.  I would just die if I had to rock each kid to sleep and slowly carefully move them to their bed.  It just wouldn't work.  So for nap time, I set Matthew in bed (he is the only one that really naps anymore), give him a kiss and leave him alone.  Within a few minutes he has fallen asleep and rarely does he cry.

Lately, Matthew has been teething and 5 to 6 teeth are breaking through his little gums at the same time.  It looks like a lot of pain.  He is pretty tough about it but sleeping hasn't been as consistent as it used to be for him.  And he sure seems miserable sometimes.  This morning for his nap he just kept crying and screaming and wouldn't sleep.  It was so unusual for him.  So I went back into his room and picked him up.  He just snuggled into my arms and laid still.  This NEVER happens with this kid.  The word squirmy is an understatement.  My middle boy is a snuggler, and my oldest has snugly moments, but this little one, NOT a snuggler.  I don't mind, we all give love in different ways.  But I was pretty taken aback when he just let me hold him.

I started rocking him and humming a song hoping he just might fall asleep.  He didn't, he just stared at me.  But then I glanced above his crib and there is a picture of the LDS temple that Tyson and I got married in taped to the wall.  I suddenly had a memory flash through my mind of when I stood by the front doors with Tyson and we were so excited about our live together.  I was so giddy to be marrying this incredible handsome guy.  The world was full of possibilities and the unknown.  It has only been a little over six years since then, but how much has changed.  We aren't in school anymore, I have been a stay-at-home mom for most of our married life.  We have three little boys.  Tyson has a great job and we are still really happy.  But I don't think I pictured rocking a little boy, my third little boy, just a few years after that.  Never would I have thought we would still be in Virginia. 

I can still vividly remember standing there with Tyson.  How quickly life has changed and how fast six years has gone by.  Six years used to be and feel like a million years.  How fast the next six years will be.  My little boys will grow up so fast, they already are so big. 

It was such a nice little moment, snuggling my non-snuggler, pausing from the busyness of life just for a moment and remembering how precious each moment is and how quickly it is gone.  Treasure this moment, right now, before it flees and you can't go back.