How May 26th Rocked Our World

Today I am thoughtful and sappy. Nobody told me that they actually grow up (babies that is) and somehow it's caught me off guard.

A few years ago, we were having dinner with friends in Little Italy. We had just taken the kids to the Children's Museum and now the six of us were enjoying a little pasta and pizza. Our sons were born on the same day and were about 3 or 4 years-old at the time. Our friends had a new little bundle in tow, a sweet little girl who slept during our entire outing. The scene was idyllic. All of us eating there, enjoying one another's company. My husband and I looked longingly at each other and them and admired their new completed family of four. How wild and wonderful we thought - should we dare?

"So...?" they ask, "When are you guys going to try for another?" We made the typical excuses of wanting to enjoy the first one, timing, finances, work, etc... but ended on the promise that we did want another baby some day and gee, didn't it look like such a fun-loving time? "It'll rock your world, the second one..." says our friend. Followed by all the reasons why she wouldn't trade her fresh role as mommy of two for anything in the world. We giggled... all the way to the delivery room.

I was not prepared for the overwhelming amount of joy, possibility, excitement, wonder and love my husband and I would feel on the day that we met Rowan Quin (a.k.a. little browtha according to Noah Mitchell). When the doctor held him up, I couldn't believe it. We created another little being and he was just as beautiful as the first! We were both speechless, overcome with emotion - how amazing was this moment?

The day I had to go back to work after maternity leave was earth-shattering to my already hormonal state. I bawled. I didn't expect to CIO in the ladies room or my office, but I did. Maybe it was the fact that we were officially done having children and this was so final... the last maternity leave, the last size 3 months onesie off to the resale shop, the last mid-day nap together with my itty-bitty buddy... my heart hurt.

I settled in, eventually got used to the routine... (that happens without you even noticing) and here we are. My snuggly little monkey is 365 days old. As I was feeding him last night, I stared down intently at his delicate eyebrows, his dimpled elbows and chubby little feet that now hang over the end of the Bobby... I used to lose half of him down through the middle when he was, well, littler. I now fully understood what my mom has said to me for years. The cliche' that 'it goes by so fast,' is real and true and in your face screaming - pay attention, lady - are you going to take notes or not? It seems like just yesterday that I was rocking my now 6 year-old. Where did the last half dozen years go? When I see a baby picture of Noah (a.k.a. Bubba to his little brother Rowan) flash by on the laptop screen saver I tear up and laugh at the same time. C'mon guys, just stay little for a while longer.


Happy Birthday Rowan Quin - thank you for completing our family and rocking our world.