Stop, relax, enjoy.

Griffin turned 8 months old this week and I literally have no idea where the time went! I have thought a lot about what Sean and I have learned since July and what that beautiful baby boy of ours has done to our hearts. I can't help but laugh at how worried I was over things in the beginning, like how to get Griffin to nap, sleep, eat, be OK in his car seat, stroller or carrier..etc.etc. When Griffin turned 6 months I finally came to the realization that he will do these things when he is ready and to just enjoy the time I have with him. I decided to just stop, relax, and enjoy. I have sometimes repeated this sentence to myself when I got frustrated or worried unnecessarily. It is so easy to get caught up in making Griffin fit our schedule instead of the other way around. I now know that I will NEVER have it all figured out, and I am totally OK with that! Once I accepted that Griffin will sleep through the night when he is ready, I stopped worrying about it. With my hours spent away from him at work, the middle of the night is our cuddle time. I don't mind waking up to soothe and love my sweet little guy. Don't get me wrong, I am tired (OK really, really, really tired) but I don't care because it’s almost the only time I have had with him lately.

I read a quote the other day that said "The days are long but the years are quick" and it almost made me cry. It perfectly encompasses the realization that I have had lately that Griffin is going to be a year old in four months and I know how fast that time will come. I wish it would slow down but I am glad that I stopped freaking out about being the perfect parent. I just wished I had figured that out a little sooner :) I think I have really been able to soak my little guy up the last two months since my change of perspective. I am trying to be more present each day and purposeful with my time with him. Although, it’s hard not to be sad when I see him growing and learning so quickly. I feel like I am missing so much, but it is so neat to see him accomplish new things.

The last eight months has challenged both Sean and I in many ways and has allowed us to grow individually, as a couple and as parents. It's pretty cool how much being a parent changes you! I remember how in love we both were with Griffin when we brought him home for the first time and are continually amazed at how that love has grown exponentially every day since then. I didn't think it was possible to love him even more, but every day he finds more space in our hearts to fill up :)

Today was a rare day, I didn't have to work and we spent the entire day together as a family. It was wonderful, and tonight as I was nursing him to sleep he put his little hand up on my cheek and fell asleep. I sat there and just admired his little sleepy face and squeezed him tight. I have found that I don't need to remind myself to enjoy moments like these anymore. I just let them soak in and deposit themselves in my ever growing heart!