Holding on to those Precious Lasts

After almost 2 and a half years of changing Evan's diaper, you would think I would be the happiest mom around to be potty training my child.  I am happy to be getting him out of diapers, but it is also making me feel kind of sad that a huge chapter of his life will now be over.  It seemed like it took forever to get pregnant with him and now that I have him, time is just flying by.  God has definitely blessed me with an amazing child...here is some info about my lil man! 

-He is obsessed with Cars movie (and I mean obsessed!)  it doesn't help that mommy and grandparents are feeding the addiction :) We plan on taking him to the big screen in a few weeks when Cars 2 comes out!

-He is extremely smart and an exceptional talker-I forget that he is only 2 most of the time because of his extensive vocab and conversational skills.  I pray everyday that God will use his smarts for His glory! 



-He loves to read!  And mommy loves that...we spend about 20 minutes before nap and bedtime reading stories and at several other moments during the day...He is currently into Curious George books, Cars books, If You Gave a Pig a Pancake series, and Dr. Seuss books.  Usually what will happen is he will pick one book for the week and we will have to read it 100 times and he ends up memorizing it. We don't even have to read all the lines! 

-Poor kid still has eczema and food allergies to peanuts, eggs, and fish.  We have now been told he most likely has seasonal allergies and asthma now too after having a cough and runny nose for the past couple months.  He has a nebulizer that we do as needed and we give him Zyrtec daily for the allergies.  We are working on doing allergy drops to desensitize him to the food allergies.  I hope it works because I would love for him not to have to worry about that all his life! 

-He has a huge tender heart.  Before I go anywhere, he has to give me hugs, kisses and snuggle-buggles. :)  If his little sister Alea is crying, he brings her a million toys and does whatever he can to help her be happy. 
-He is slowly transitioning from being a mommy's boy to a daddy's boy, he loves running and wrestling with daddy.
-He loves cereal (Apple Jacks, Trix, Fruit Loops, Cheerios), yogurt, applesauce, crackers, Oreos, and fruit snacks!
-The kid can argue and whine with the best of them, but after being disciplined, he changes his behavior...
-He is very cautious as the firstborn, usually wants mom to check things out or watches other do things first  before he decides if it is ok...
I could go on and on, if you can't tell, I am completely smitten with him and I love being his mommy.  As I look forward to all that we will get to do together in the future, I will hold on to these precious lasts and savor them.  There is a fabulous book by my favorite author Karen Kingsbury called "Let me Hold You Longer" that inspired this post, I cry everytime I read it.  The poem from the book is below:
Long ago you came to me,
a miracle of firsts,
First smiles and teeth and baby steps,
a sunbeam on the burst.
But one day you will move away
and leave to me your past
And I will be left thinking of
a lifetime of your lasts…
The last time that I held a bottle
to your baby lips
The last time that I lifted you
and held you on my hip.
The last night when you woke up crying,
needing to be walked,
When last you crawled up with your blanket,
wanting to be rocked.

The last time when you ran to me,
still small enough to hold.
The last time that you said you’d marry
me when you grew old.

Precious, simple moments and
bright flashes from your past-
Would I have held on longer if
I’d known they were your last?
Our last adventure to the park,
your final midday nap,
The last time when you wore your favorite
faded baseball cap.
Your last few hours of kindergarten,
those last few days of first grade,
Your last at bat in Little League,
last colored picture made.
I never said good-bye to all
your yesterdays long passed.
So what about tomorrow-
will I recognize your lasts?
The last time that you catch a frog
in that old backyard pond.
The last time that you run barefoot
across our fresh-cut lawn.
Silly, scattered images
will represent your past.
I keep on taking pictures,
never quite sure of your lasts…
The last time that I comb your hair
or stop a pillow fight.
The last time that I pray with you
and tuck you in at night.
The last time when we cuddle
with a book, just me and you
The last time you jump in our bed
and sleep between us two.
The last piano lesson,
last vacation to the lake.
Your last few weeks of middle school,
last soccer goal you make.
I look ahead and dream of days
that haven’t come to pass.
But as I do, I sometimes miss
today’s sweet, precious lasts…
The last time that I help you with
a math or spelling test.
The last time when I shout that yes,
your room is still a mess.
The last time that you need me for
a ride from here to there.
The last time that you spend the night
with your old tattered bear.
My life keeps moving faster,
stealing precious days that pass,
I want to hold on longer-
want to recognize your lasts…
The last time that you need my help
with details of a dance.
The last time that you ask me for
advice about romance.

The last time that you talk to me
about your hopes and dreams.
The last time that you wear a jersey
for your high school team.

I’ve watched you grow and barely noticed
seasons as they pass.
If I could freeze the hands of time,
I’d hold on to your lasts.

For come some bright fall morning,
you’ll be going far away.
College life will beckon
in a brilliant sort of way.

One last hug, one last good-bye,
one quick and hurried kiss.
One last time to understand
just how much you’ll be missed.





I’ll watch you leave and think how fast
our time together passed.
Let me hold on longer, God,
to every precious last.