"It" happens...

My friend Jamie just wrote this adorable post about her girls and when "it" happens, it made me cry and I have to follow suit so that I can remember what I remember now.  So "it" is what happens to your sweet little baby.  You know, when they are in their "teen" months and you look at them and see a toddler in the place of your once was baby.  I can't believe how reading my friend's post made this memory jump back to the front of my mind. 

Jenna was about 15 months or so.  She'd fallen asleep early so I decided I'd just sneak into her room before I went to bed and give her some milk so that she wouldn't wake up early, starving.  I crept in as quietly as I could and picked her up from her crib.  She stirred, and I woke her just enough so that she would actually drink her milk from her sippy.  Jenna sipped with her eyes closed and I just held her, rocking her gently.  I felt tears come to my eyes as I looked at my baby, my firstborn.  What a big girl she was!  How did this happen?! How had my baby become this little girl who loves to run around and get into mischief?  I was about 5 months pregnant with Lucy when this happened. I cried as I realized that this little girl would be the big sister to all of my children even though she was my baby.  

Jamie wrote something that I think just sums it up perfectly:

 "I cried little tears and hugged her close to my body, memorizing her smell, her little face, and how her toddler body fit so perfectly in my lap, with her head laying on my chest, cradled in my arms. I remembered holding her so, rocking her to sleep just a year ago. She fit perfectly in my lap, with her head on my chest, cradled in my arms. It was then that the lump in my throat went away and the tears stopped, a calm warmth filled my soul and I felt a peaceful feeling, a small whispering that reminded me: she is mine forever. The power of the temple made that possible. I knew right then and will never forget, that each of my babies, no matter how big they are or how much they grow up, will always fit perfectly in my lap, with their head on my chest, cradled in my arms.

Its what being a mother means. And it never changes."

As I look at Jenna, all I can think is how right Jamie is.