How do you know...

A few times a week, if not a day, I am reminded. It really stood out when we recently traveled to Atlanta for my brother's wedding. Here's how it starts. In the airport, countless people would first give me the look of pity. You know what I am talking about; the look like "Bless your Heart" for traveling with two young children, the look like "I hope I don't get a seat behind you", the look like "Did you really need to pack all of that stuff". Immediately after comes a smile, and then the kicker. "Enjoy them while they are young". They then go back to reading their book or head to the bar kid  free and walk the other direction.

I don't want this post to come off as me being over-sensitive, as 99% of the time the person is being genuine and probably reminiscing back to the young days of their children. Is this just a cliche that every mom of older children feels they have to say? As a mother, I am sure you have heard this phrase countless times over the years. Admittedly it is hard to stop and enjoy your children when your are arm deep in changing diapers, your clothes constantly smell like spit up, you rarely get to eat a meal without an interruption, and 6 hours is considered a great night of sleep. How do you know I am not enjoying them?

There is not a day that goes by that I don't sneak into my daughters room and watch them sleep even though the day was long and I was looking forward to a break. Or on my train ride to work, I sit on my phone and look at their pictures, when I only left them a few minutes prior. Or placing countless kisses through the day on those soft fat cheeks they have. Or letting my oldest sneak in my bed to cuddle when my husband is traveling. Or let my youngest wake up to feed in the middle of the night because she will only be a baby for so long. Or taking a million pictures of them,knowing no one finds them as cute as I could. I often find myself just staring at them thinking "How could I have made something so beautiful".

So the next time you think to say "Enjoy them while they are young", take a second to think twice. Although I might look completely overwhelmed, tired or  covered in spit up I am enjoying EVERY minute of it.