How Quickly They Grow...

By most people's standards, my kids are still little. A four year old and a two year old are far from grown up. But the other day, I got a hold of my old computer, which had been out of commission for two years, and on it were all sorts of pictures that I hadn't seen since my babies were babies.

And they've grown!

Of course, I knew they'd grown. But seeing photos that I haven't come across in a couple of years, really brought the fact home... my babies aren't babies anymore.

At least three times a day, for the last four years, I've said, "Man, I can't wait for them to grow up and go away to college." And everyone says back, "Cherish the moments because they grow so fast." Well, I'm pretty much seeing that for the first time. There are things about their baby days that I'd completely forgotten, things that I'll never see my babies do again.

Annelie had the oddest look on her face as a baby. We called it her Blue Steel face (from the movie Zoolander) because she looked exactly like Ben Stiller's character doing his model pose.

She looked at everyone like that, like "Who the heck are you, and why are you in my breathing space?" I spent countless hours trying to reassure anyone and everyone, that Annelie liked them... she just looked at everyone like that, really.

And Gracie had colic! I forgot she had colic. She screamed for hours on end. At two weeks old, I had to rush her to the doctor (twice!) because she had turned blue from screaming so much and I thought she was going to die of asphyxiation. But the bath - that was her happy place. She took more baths as a baby than probably any other baby in the world.

Annelie started walking at nine months, and before her first birthday (this picture was taken the week of her birthday) she was already hiking up Enchanted Rock all by herself. The entire way, going .75 miles, up a steep granite dome.

Next year, Gracie will be in kindergarten - Annelie will be following her soon after that. And before long, they'll be off to college. I see the little girls they are, and forget that they wont be like that forever. I know their interests will change. I'm sure there will come a time when I say, "Oh man, I forgot just how much Annelie loved watching My Little Pony and Blue's Clues, and I forgot how Gracie had that annoying habit of asking people what their names were every freakin' time she saw them."

I really need to remember to enjoy the moments now, even the really crappy ones, because they wont last forever. One day, I might just fondly smile and think, "Oh man, I forgot what it was like to be at the grocery store with two screaming little kids. Ah, bless their little hearts."

Well, that's probably pushing it, but you get the idea...

xoxo,