Please don't wish your babies wouldn't grow up.

Almost Daily I see some well-meaning Mommy post a picture or status begging their children to "Please Just Stay Little" or "Don't grow up okay!?" Or "Stop Growing!"  Either with words or a cute little hashtag. 

First of all - I know the generalized idea you're trying to get across. I'm not heartless and I remember those cute little baby snuggles and the intoxicating smell of newborns and toddlers. Baby smells are Still  intoxicating when your kids are adults. I'm not writing this to chastise you - hopefully when you're done reading this you feel the birth of hope and longing to see your kids do the very thing you lament against constantly.

Next let's get dramatics out of the way.  However, you Do realize there's only one way your child won't grow up right? Trust me - you Want them to grow up.

Now on to the heart of why I wanted to write to you today. That sweet little newborn you can't get enough of holding?! If it didn't grow up, you wouldn't see that first smile when you KNOW it's only for you. They are smiling because they realize You are their Mama and only You can satisfy their need for connection in so many ways.  You would never feel their chubby fingers grab your face and hair so they can pull you in for kisses that - as infants sometimes feel more like they want to eat your face!! Yet somehow they make it adorable.

You would never see them attach to that one lovey or blanket or stuffed animal. 

Watching their sense of humor emerge is priceless. 

You would never see them climb trees or build mud puddles or use those filthy fingers to bring you a bouquet of weeds.

~~~I know you see where I'm going with this but keep reading.~~

Those toddlers become children and start kindergarten. With the look in their eyes that they Really don't want to be away from you all day, to the day when they jump out of the car and rush into school you will always see their eyes light up when they see you again. I'm 46 and I hope my mom still can see it in my eyes when I come home for a visit!

If my kids wouldn't have grown up I would never have been there the first time that special boy asked my daughter to wear his football jersey on Friday. Trust me. This was a big deal.

I wouldn't have been there for Book Fairs and Field Trips and Class Parties.

I would never have seen my 4th daughter work around the house for extra money, only to find out that she took all of her allowance to school and gave it to her 2nd grade teacher whose husband had been seriously injured in a rodeo event and couldn't work for a Long time. The heart of a child will melt you.

I would never have watched them make the cheerleaders squad the first time you had to try out. She ran up to that list and squealed like the proverbial little girl when she saw her name up there. 

I would have never seen them in Homecoming or watched my daughter catch every minute of a 19 inning softball game. I would have never seen the other one end up 2nd at Nationals .... Twice!  And I would never seen them dig deep down inside when they were at bat with 2 outs - down by one - last inning of the game ... and she hit a triple and we won.

Would never have watched her overcome a learning disability and graduate. Or get a mout full of braces! 

I would never have seen my daughter in love and beaming with excitement as her Daddy walked her down the aisle. Nor would I have been blessed with the opportunity through a rough set of circumstances to hand her - her first born son and watch with my very own  eyes as she became a mom. As her heart saw him for the very first time, and she examined every inch of him like we do.  I mean - I love my Grandson, but that was My baby in that bed - My baby who had just survived an emergency c-section that was pretty touch - and - go. And that was My baby becoming a Mommy. 

Friends - you want to see it. And you want to see it exactly when it is supposed to happen. You don't want them delayed in any way.

The reason I wrote to you is this.  You don't need them to stop growing. The change needs to happen in you. You need to do whatever it takes to remember every moment. Journal- video - blog - do whatever it takes for you to remember everything. Put one of their cute little sleeper pj's in a gallon zip-loc bag so you can open it once or twice when they are rotten teenagers and be intoxicated with the smell of their infant sweetness once more and rejoice! Celebrate every achievement and failure.

Because some day your door will bust open and little ones will run in saying "HEYYYYYY Granny!!!!!" And they will smile at you like only a Granny can inspire in them and you will have a whole new life of things to cherish.

So grow up little one!! Not too fast but not too late! Let me see every success and let me scoop you up and love you through every failure!  Grow up little one, and become everything God had in mind when he ordained your existence!! 

Cherish the growth Mama - it doesn't happen twice!