Tonight is bittersweet. Tonight is the last night of the baby years at my house.
I realize that God opens the womb, but most likely, tonight is the last night that I will officially have a baby in our home. Tomorrow is our daughter’s first birthday and I can’t believe it has arrived on our doorstep.
This past year was a whirlwind of “firsts”. We had our first daughter, our first puppy, my first year of full-time work since having kids, a first year of school for our boys, and a first year as a family of six.
This was also a year of many “lasts”. It was the last year that we will head to the labor and delivery to have a baby, the last year of having a newborn in the house, the last year of baby’s first smile, coo, laugh and crawl. The last year of nursing a sweet baby.
For the past eight years I have either been pregnant or postpartum and nursing a baby. My life has evolved around feeding schedules, diaper changes and nap times. I realize that tomorrow when I wake up, Lord willing, my life with still evolve around those things, but never again in the same way that a newborn demands.
Tomorrow will be filled with fun, laughter and birthday cheers as we celebrate the birth of baby girl, but at the same time, my Mama heart will be sad because it will be the last “first” birthday for one of my children.
I am thankful to the Lord for the eight years that I had of “firsts” with my sweet babies. As we look forward, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us that there is a season for everything.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
Although my Mama heart is sad that this season of babyhood is ending, new seasons are headed our way and we will be blessed in ways that we can’t comprehend in this moment. Mama, I encourage you to squeeze your baby one more time tonight, while also looking forward to the joyous times to come.
May God bless you and keep you.