Stages

Stages of life. They come and go so quickly. Like a small town on a long highway, you blink and you miss it. Some stages are more short lived than others, and it isn't until you've lived through them and can look back on them that you can truly appreciate them. And I don't know that I will ever be able to truly appreciate each stage of my life until I've lived through them again with each one of my kids. It makes me grateful to be in this particular "family stage" right now because we have so many stages going on in our house all at once.

 We have the newborn stage...

Long naps, lots of snuggling, and sweet silent simplicity define this stage. I'm convinced that holding a sleeping newborn on your chest is therapy for the soul. The first time I experienced the newborn stage I feared the constant feedings and diapers and sleepless nights were our new normal and would last forever. Fortunately I know enough now to enjoy the midnight feedings and quiet bonding moments because I know it will be over too soon.

Then there is the toddler stage...

Here Caleb is hard at work while Daddy gets some bishoping done. I love this stage too. Lots of sound effects. Lots of exploring and discovering. A vocabulary that increases ten fold each week. Learning to create order out of chaos (note the long line of hot wheels) and creating more chaos in the process. It is a lively and exciting and fun stage. It is exhausting in its own way, yet it too is over in the blink of an eye. And the transition from toddler to full on kid is a lot more subtle. For instance I never really noticed when Ben started saying his "r's" - "brother" instead of "bwothow". I miss it and would have tried to delight in it a bit more if I'd known it was ending.

Then there is the little kid stage...

Older than a toddler in many ways but not quite a big kid. It's a great stage because it involves a lot of both worlds. She's big enough to understand and play with the older siblings but still little enough to have quality play time with her little brother. She flies back and forth between the two stages effortlessly. She always wants to push the limits and try new things. She is testing boundaries which is both good and bad. Her little (but oh so big) spirit is developing in new and glorious ways. 

The we have the big kid stage...

This is the stage where I can't keep the kid in clothes that fit to save my life. I feel like he is two inches taller every time he wakes up. His independence is growing each day. We trust him more to do bigger things. He is so helpful with his siblings. We are seeing the way the Lord is preparing him for baptism. He "gets it" when we study scriptures as a family now. Instead of offering up the typical "Sunday school answers" in FHE or during family scripture study we are seeing him actually thinking about and processing what he reads. He is more capable physically and sports have taken on a new level of excitement in his life. 

Then there is the pre-preteen stage...

So anxious to grow up. 9 going on 19. Not yet delving into the "boys, hair, makeup" stage but I sense it's not far off in the distant future anymore either. (Boys still have cooties...most of them). More than that though is the unquenchable thirst for responsibility. Being "in charge" is a great place to be. Babysitting is fun (most of the time). Being trusted with greater responsibilities brings on a sense of pride and strength. It's fun to try new grown up things. But she is still able to transition back into a little girl. Playing dolls with Abby is still fun (so long as there's nothing else to do.)

So we are surrounded by some of the best stages of life all at once. The tricky part, I'm finding, is in enjoying them all at the same time. Sometimes it feels like I'm trying to watch 5 different TV shows all at once. How can I possibly appreciate every bit of every show? How can I focus on one without forgetting four others? How can I truly enjoy the sweet newborn stage without missing something silly the toddler did or something new the little kid discovered or the two inches the big kid grew or the questions the pre-preteen is asking? How do you take a drink out of a fire hydrant? 

I guess that's where you trust in a loving Father in Heaven. He who has been through these and infinitely more stages with infinitely more children will help us to parent this crew all at once however daunting it feels. We can enjoy the sweet and joyful and exciting and new and wonderful moments knowing that they are gone in the blink of an eye and his strength helps us to wade through the hard moments that are all part of the package deal as well.