Growing Pains

It amazes me how quickly our kids grow.  In an instant, it seems like they go from tiny bundles of joy to towering teens.  Having to look up into my 6th grader's face just doesn't seem right; however, when I lock into those ocean-swirled eyes I'm taken right back to when he was a baby.  Whether it's a position I catch him sleeping him, or a tiny curl at the back of his neck, I'm reminded of when my little guy was actually little.

It's a bittersweet journey, watching your baby grow into a young man.  While I long for the sweet moments of yesterday, I dream for his tomorrows.  With each inch he grows, I realize again how soon all this will pass.  In his last year of elementary school, I know the days will fast forward sooner than I'm really ready.  This makes me hug deeper and make the most of every moment with him.

As if he's not aging fast enough, Noah's going through a growth spurt.  I guess that's to be expected when your inching towards 6 feet and only in the 6th grade.  Only 11, he's taller than me now.  He outgrows his shoes, it seems, in a matter of weeks.  And while all of this is hard on a momma, from the heartache of losing the baby in her boy to the sting of the wallet, it's also not easy watching him hurt. 

Growing legs result in aching pain that shoots down the length of him.  It was so strong last night that he was limping, hesitating to put much weight on it.  I pampered him, opening up the hot tub so he could soak and bringing him out a icy cold cream soda in a bottle.  As he crawled up next to me awhile later, still damp but in pajamas, I held him close.  While he may be taller than mom, I guess you never outgrow needing to be babied sometimes.  With a smile in my heart, I cherished every second and hugged even tighter.


"For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again."  - (from the Curious case of Benjamin Button)