You're gonna miss this...

I was listening to the radio today and "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins came on. I always tear up when I listen to it because every lyric is so true.

She was staring out the window of their SUV
Complaning, saying "I can't wait to turn 18"
She said "I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules"
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school
Then she kissed her head and said "I was just like you"

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her "It's a nice place"
She says "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and says "Baby, just slow down"

Cause you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'
He says "They don't bother me.
I've got 2 babies of my own.
One's 36, one's 23.
Huh, it's hard to believe, but...

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

I'm not going to lie. Most of my days are harder than they are easy. Especially when you have the stress of everyday life on top of raising children.

It's not a common day for all my kids to get along. I know deep down they love each other but it's hard to see them fight so much.

So it is many a day that I say "I can't wait to get through this time," to a time where it will be easier.

Especially when perfectly nice (annoying) people tell me I have my hands full.

Well, tonight as I was bathing the kids after a very stressful, hectic day I took Avery's foot to wash it and I stopped and just had to think about it.

Her foot is so tiny.

It's not the big girl foot to go with the big girl she always says she is, or we tell her she is.

It's a baby foot that is getting bigger everyday, like her and her brothers. I started remembering how I would give Tommy a bath every night and I used to love cleaning his tiny little hands. Now I can't remember what they looked like - I just know what they must have looked like because Cole still has those sweet, chubby baby hands. Which will soon disappear.

My friends and I encourage each other with "this is just a season." And it IS encouraging...at one of those times where you are stressed to the max because there are a million and one things going on at one time.

But how sad at the same time. How sad that you only get to hold your children as babies for such a very short time. It isn't long before they are in school full time, getting crushes on children of the opposite sex, talking back, playing contact sports and wishing they were 18.

I know I'm totally guilty of rushing through my day, not allowing myself to just enjoy my children. Watching the amazement in my youngest child's eyes when the car zooms across the floor is such an awesome moment.

But I have floors to clean for heaven's sake!

Letting Avery jump out of the bathtub one more time is really not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

But I have dishes to do, clothes to fold, and children to tuck in.

And snuggling with Tommy every night, while reading with him is something I do because I love it. I really enjoy just laying there with him and getting to relax without the other kids hanging on me.

However, those clothes are still waiting!

It is so hard to get lost in those wonderful moments because there is always something else that has to be done, or you think "those cars will still be here tomorrow."

But your children won't be small enough for all those things that "get in the way" someday. And it will come quicker than I want. I remember wanting to be a teenager so bad, then wanting to drive, then wanting to be 18, then 21. There was always a better age!

Just like there is always a better age with your children.

Like it will be so easy when they can sit up. It will be so easy when they can crawl. Oh, life will get so much better when they can just walk! Or eat by themselves. Or talk. It's amazing how fast those milestones reach you and after they pass, what is it we all say? "Oh, I miss the days when they would just lay there :)"

You know you're going to miss these days because you see it in the little old ladies who come up to you to talk about your babies. They start reminiscing about when they were younger with their own children and you know that will be you one day.

Don't get me wrong - I know I don't want to change diapers forever. But I will miss the sweet dimpled fingers. The tiny toes. The oh so stinking cute giggles that are so contagious everyone laughs with them. I can't remember Tommy's giggle. I remember talking about how adorable it was, but that's it. It doesn't replay in my head anymore and that is something my heart aches for.

So tonight I did let Avery jump out of the tub one more time and she laughed the hardest her last time around. I also let Tom wrestle with the kids on the bed, without complaining, while listening to the sweet giggles erupting from the bedroom.

One day I'm going to send my last child off into the world, which will break my heart. At the same time I know it will be soaring as I think about all the memories we made which brought us to that point.

However, I'm really not ready for that moment anytime soon.

Because I'm really gonna miss this.