The Days Are Long.

Friends and family from near and far shared their congratulatory words and parenting tips and tricks via the world wide web on the morning of July 28, when Parker made his grand debut into this crazy world. As I held my not so itty-bitty newborn in my arms, and scrolled thru the sweet texts and facebook messages from my hospital bed, one particular message, from a former college classmate of mine, struck a deep chord within my new mama heart. It read: "Congratulations on your adorable baby boy! Get as much rest as you can and enjoy the sweet newborn snuggles because they are gone in the blink of an eye. Remember this: Being a mommy the days may be long, but the years are short. Savor it."

This message, from someone I barely knew and never spoke with, hit me harder than any other that day, and kept ringing thru my mind during those sleepless and overwhelming first few weeks home. At the time, I couldn't fully comprehend the emotions and experience behind these words, but now I can so intimately understand and empathize with the truth, the frustration, the beauty, and the heartache of these 9 simple words, shared from one mama to the next.

The days are long. But the years are short.

During the last ten months, I have experienced some very long days, and some even longer nights. Parker is strong willed and a unimpressive sleeper. It often takes over an hour for his sweaty stubborn head to finally collapse into the pillow for an ever-so-refreshing twenty-minute cat nap. Oh the sweat, the tears, the calories and the time I successfully waste day after day, trying to get this kiddo to rest. It's almost comical. Almost. 

Add the fact that Parks has yet to sleep anywhere close to thru the night, and it truly makes for an award-winning combo. And the world's most sleep deprived slumberer award goes to ... Parker Collier! In fact, the three of us sleepless amigos have made a terribly bad habit of gazing at the clock and making sure to catch the following hours flashing from our cell phone screens each and every evening:  10pm, midnight, 2:30am, 3:30am, 5:00am, 6:30am and 7:30am.

Long days? Yeah, I think I can relate. 

Yet as long and as sleepless as these days are, I have honestly found each month, milestone, and season to pass us by with such swiftness. Jordan and I barely have time to recognize and celebrate that one skill has been developed before Parker is surpassing it and moving right along to the next greatest thing. 

So. As I prepare for Parker's upcoming Mustache Bash to cheers and celebrate both his first birthday, and the fact that Jordan and I survived our first year of sleeplessness parenting, I can guarantee you that this year has absolutely flown by. And something tells me, as we sail thru sleepless night then toddle into toddlerhood, and as I watch Parker grow in height, how much shorter each season, each milestone, and each precious year of his childhood will feel. Because as much as the days are long, I do believe the years are short, short, short. And this sleepy mama plans to celebrate the chaos and enjoy the beauty found in both the long days + the short years. Because it is all a gift. The sweetest and most sleepless gift of all. 

Sweet free printable from Take Heart.

Long & Lean.

Whew! It's been a few weeks since my last post. A few crazy, beautiful, chaotic, sun-filled, non-stop, action-packed, wild-child kind of weeks. Can you relate? 

During one o' those weeks, Parkerman and dad had a date to the doctor's office, for his 9 month well child check. And whaddya know? The previously plump kiddo has not put on more than 16 ounces in the last  f o u r  months. He is maintaining weight like a middle school wrestler before a big match, yet growing in length like a weed. 

#firstworldfirsttimeparentproblems...? I think so. Yet makes my mama heart ache to see clothes hang off of him, although I know we'll both survive this little spurt. More experienced mamas gently remind me that babies tend to plump then lengthen, lengthen and plump, and the numbers all sort of ebb and flow throughout their early years. 

Here's to eating endless avocados, quinoa+protein astronaut packs, and a little bit of whipping cream for good measure. Because we all need a little processed and absolutely non-nutritious sweets in our life, right?