Memories

Well, the time has come again. Time for me to say good-bye to spending all day every day with my boys. Those that know me well, know this past year and a half has not been easy on me. Starting with 7.5 months of "morning" sickness, followed by 9.5 months of sleep deprivation that at times was so bad that I didn't know how I was going to make it. But that's not what I am going to remember.

I'm going to remember how excited I was to find out we were expecting. I'm going to remember sharing the news with friends and family, and cutting in to our blue cake! I'm going to remember seeing "JoJo" on the ultrasound machine, and the first time I got to hold my sweet baby boy in my arms. I'm going to remember the look on Carter's face the first time he saw Lincoln and how he compared his body to Lincoln's. I'll remember the first time Lincoln got to meet our friends and family, near and far.

Most importantly, I'm going to remember all the wonderful times I've had with my boys. Like the times Carter said "let's have a lazy pajama day and cuddle on the couch mum," and the times he would cry when Lincoln had to go have a nap because he "loves him." Learning all about dinosaurs, whales, and planets - "you be a blue compsognathus mum and I'll be a t-rex!"  Getting to watch Carter go from being a toddler to a funny, sweet, sensitive, and smart little boy. And watching Lincoln go from being a little baby to a little guy with loads of personality! Also, my days laying in bed cuddling with Lincoln all day so we could both try to catch up on some sleep. And seeing a smile that lights up a room every time he woke up and saw that he was laying next to me. I'll remember dancing with them both in the family room and the first time I saw Lincoln "dance" on his own. I'll remember all the extra family time we got to have and how blessed Dan and I are to have each other and our perfect little boys.

When I was on maternity leave after having Carter I made 9 new friends whose friendships I will cherish for the rest of my life. I will remember our play dates that went from 10 babies to 19! This time, I was lucky enough to have made another 80 friends. That's right, 80! Some of them have listened when I needed to talk, some have reminded me that I wasn't alone, some have made me laugh, some made me cry, some gave advice, some supported me, and some at times made me crazy. Some did all of the above! One kept me sane (you know who you are!) Time will only tell what will happen to all of those friendships, but I will definitely remember them fondly as well.

So although it's been a rough year and a half, it's memories like these that have made their mark and will stick out in my mind when I think back on this time.