05 January, 2012

Moments to Remember





Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but
by the moments that take our breath away.         
Hilary Cooper



For the past few months or so, I have not been on the computer writing a post to the blog.  I have been spending my time with my children, family and friends. 

During this time, I have found myself treasuring moments, filing them away in my heart and mind, knowing that when I am older, I will look back and be so grateful I experienced them.  And today, I experienced one of those moments that I would like to share.

My youngest son Owen is 10 months old.  He is my active little guy.  He loves to crawl around, follow his brother and sister, throw little balls and chase them, and generally, investigate how everything moves and works.  Yesterday he came down with a stomach bug and has not been feeling well since.  

Last night, he slept 13 hours, he awoke to have a drink of milk, and then went back to sleep for another few hours.  When he woke again, he ate a little applesauce, and then wanted to be held.  

My older two were in bed, so it was just Owen and me.  Owen did not want to crawl around, he did not want to look at a book, he did not want me to walk him around.  Owen simply wanted to sit in my lap, in the rocking chair, with no music, no talking, and no movement.  

As I sat there, I slowly merged into the moment, observing his sweet little hands resting upon my arms (which were snuggling him closely.)  I saw his ankles crossed and his adorable little feet resting in my lap without socks.  I saw his chest gently rise and fall with each breath, I saw his eye lashes flutter, and....I saw (and felt) him calm down into the moment with me.

And then I closed my eyes to allow myself to sense the moment.  I felt the weight of him gently blend into my lap, I felt his soft hair on his head against my cheek, and then I felt the calmness.  We started to gently merge into a feeling of....love.  The love I felt was overpowering.  I sat there with him in my lap, in awe of his presence, and felt immensely blessed that he came into my life.  And in that moment, a tear flowed down my cheek.  I did not move to wipe it as I normally do, rather I let it fall and just held space for the moment.

We sat there for what seemed like a long time, yet, I do not think it was too long.  When Owen moved to rub his eyes, indicating he was tired, we both took a stretch, had another snuggle, and I took him to bed.  As I said "sleep well little baby" and walked out of the room, my heart smiled with love and blessings.

6 comments:

  1. It's so lovely to be in love with our babies!

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  2. Bree, I so agree! It is just lovely! Thank you for stopping by!

    ~Claire

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  3. just beautiful and yes isn't it wonderful to be in love with your children. nothing compares at all to the joy and peace they provide to us and the instant love that grows all around them. Thank you for sharing this beautiful moment with us and helping us to remember our own moments with our children. my heart smiles too.
    Sarah

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  4. Thank you Sarah! You stated it so beautifully, nothing compares to the joy and peace our children provide. These moments really bring light to that. Love and blessings! Claire

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  5. What a beautifully written post. I could feel the love in your words. So true! I have recently been given the gift of taking the year off from work to stay at home with my little man (5 months now). I feel so incredibally blessed knowing that Ihave been given this time with him. I wasn't that fortunate with my first child. Knowing that I have this extra time and remembering how quickly my first child grew, I have really made an effort to slow down and enjoy those quiet moments alone that we have with one another. There is nothing in the world quite like it!

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    1. Thank you. I think I was still in the loving space when I wrote the post. And how lovely for you to be able to spend time with your little man. There really is nothing in the world quite like these early years! Enjoy your special time with you little one, and the times coming with both of your children! Blessings!

      Claire

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