You're (not) going to miss this

  As a mother when you announce that you are pregnant for the first time the flood gates of advice -both welcome and unwelcome- swing wide open. Everything from "sleep when the baby sleeps" to the overshares like "sex is going to be totally different." And since some people don't know when to stop, the advice continues through the pregnancy, and delivery, and infant stage, and toddler stage... and preschool stage.. I will let you know when it stops. But my favorite piece of advice so far is the famous "You're going to miss this"
   I love this piece so much because I already do. My son is 4.5 ( if you ask him he is almost 5) and I already miss being able to watch him sleep, being able to hold him in my arms and rock him, the much simpler days of parenting when there was just one baby and being a stay at home mom really did mean daily naps. Now that we have 3 in the house the days kind of blur together and at 8 months old I already miss Porter's newborn days.
  I miss watching him sleep all day, I miss that new baby smell, I miss the first laughs and smiles and knowing that he knew I was his mama just by my smell and sound. That overused sentiment really is true, which I suppose is why everyone says it to you.. but then there is the flip-side.
    There are things you are most certainly not going to miss.. for instance...
   The high pitched squeal that randomly comes from JT. For no reason, associated with no particular event or emotion. Or the 45 minutes it takes to get out the door with Ellie. I can say with a fair amount of certainty on her wedding day I am NOT going to look her in the face teary eyed and say "I wish we could go back to the days where every time I asked you to get your shoes on you took your pants off instead"
   I can't imagine missing finding poopy fingerprints on the bathroom wall, or having a child scream "MOMMY, WILL YOU WIPE MY BUTT?!" the moment I set down. And while we are talking about the bathroom, I am greatly looking forward to the day I can do that without being asked 90 questions or having a 3 year old give me instructions on how to wipe. I will never mourn the days of going out on a date with my husband for the first time in 3 months only to find snot on my shirt, or being so tired that I did an entire days worth of errands with an inside out shirt.
   I will miss the funny moments that happen. the silly outfits that the kids come up with and the snuggle bug moments. I will miss reading them stories and the proud looks they get when they do something for the first time. I will miss the personality that develops and the laughs. The excitement, the silliness, the dancing around the living room and watching the same movie over and over... and over.... and.... o v e r.
   Personally I am finding it easiest to deal with the screaming teething baby by looking at pictures of him when he is happy, and thinking to myself that one day I will be able to repay my daughter when I am senile and it will be her chasing me around the house while I am butt naked in front of the pizza man. Until that day.... Here are some pics of my lovies in all their fabulousness.