The Last Times....

Tate is just over 50 pounds now...he's still lanky, all arms and legs.  Just the skinniest little boy.  I can still pick him up and cuddle him....mmmmm I love that feeling.

But I know these days and times of being able to pick him up are fleeting.  We're almost to the last time I'll be able to swing him up into my arms and when I realized this last week I realized that there have been a whole string of last times.  

More importantly, last times that I didn't know were the last times, so I paid no attention.

The last time I nursed him in the rocking chair.

The last time I nursed him in my bed.

The last time I carried him up to bed from the carseat.

The last time he used his British accent after too many 'Thomas the Train' episodes.

The last time only I could understand what he was saying.

The last time he used sign language to communicate.

The last time I carried him on my hip because he wasn't the least bit mobile.

The last time I had to hold his hand to help him up the stairs.

The last time I had to help him put on his clothes.

The last time he patted my back as we hugged.

I commemorated all the firsts...first laugh, first real tears, first time to walk or turn over or crawl.  I wrote down when he got his first tooth, lost his first tooth, when and what his first words were and his first kiss for me.  I remember most of those firsts through the haze of a mother's exhaustion, love and sleep deprivation.  

It's the lasts that escape our attention.  We move from the highchair to the booster to the chair with nary a thought.  We move from the car seat to the booster with no looking back.  He stops calling you Mommy and it becomes Mom or worse Dude (thankfully we're not here yet!).  

I've got several close friends whose children are graduating high school this year, and they're commemorating all the lasts...last day of class, last day of finals, last high school football game, last  school dance, last night under your parents roof as their 'child.'

How do we lose all those special moments in between?  Why don't we recognize that each step our child takes on this planet are steps towards the last time?  I'm missing on so much of the present worrying so much about Tate's future that I'm missing the precious lasts.  Because if I do my job right raising this amazing little boy there will be a last night in our home together.  Though I know I'll never forget that night, I need to learn to savor all these last moments in between.

So each time I pick him up from now I think I may hang on just a bit longer just in case it's the last time.

The Polar Express 2016

ALLLLLLL ABOARD!

We climbed aboard the Polar Express again this year with our dear friends, Palmi and Alonzo for a trip to the North Pole!  The boys had a great time as did their mamas.

It wasn't terribly cold;  oh my goodness the weather this year has just been awful.  I picked Tate up early from school and we headed to the train station!

The North Pole!

We returned to the hotel after our successful visit to the North Pole and seeing the big man himself, and Tate opened his Advent book!

Then we settled in for long winter's nap in anticipation of our drive to Dallas the following morning to ride the North Pole Express and hang out with our friends!!!!

We met Mrs. Claus on this ride! 

After another festive visit to the North Pole we met some of my sorority sisters for lunch!!

Then Angela and I took Tate, Sophia and Olivia to the Gaylord to see ICE!

Then we went to Susan's house for the night...Susan and I were roommates my senior year in college as well as sorority sisters.  Angela was a sister as well as our suite mate.  Tate fell in love with Susan and Sophia's new puppy, Ruby!

Such a happy boy...he wouldn't put her down!!

Almost home...

 The bell still rings for us.