Shell of Things I Can’t Say is wonderful and it is hard to put into words how amazing she is. I met her in real life at the Type A Mom Conference last fall and she was as friendly, a personable and real as you would think she is after reading her posts. I went to the conference hoping to learn about blogging and I did. A lot of what I learned was from Shell. She is not a blogger who is guarded about the secrets to her success. Shell shared blogging insights I really needed to hear to move forward in blogging. I will be forever thankful that she is who she is and she shares it with others.
So much of my time as a mom, I was looking forward to an event in the future:
*When my baby would sleep through the night
*When my baby could walk
*When the next baby was born
*When the NEXT baby was born
*When all my boys are out of diapers
*When we’re past the stroller stage
*When all my boys are in school
Thinking everything would get simpler and easier.
Rush, rush, rush through all the frantic moments.
But then I take a good look at my boys. My oldest, who is finishing his first year of kindergarten. My middle, who just turned five. My BABY who is turning 3 in a few weeks.
And I realize that I don’t have babies any more. My boys are getting so big.
And I want to pause life for a moment.
Pause it while they still fit in my lap.
Pause it while they still want me to tuck them in at night.
Pause it while they still want to hug me in front of their friends.
Pause it while they think I’m the most beautiful girl in the world.
Pause it while they are my little boys.
Time is moving fast enough. I don’t need to wish away their childhoods, just to get to the “easy” stuff.
Something tells me it’s not going to be easy, anyway.
So, I’d like to pause life for a moment and enjoy my babies. I just won’t call them that where they can hear.
Please stop by Things I Can’t Say and let Shell know how much you have enjoyed this post.
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You are so right!! There are NO *easy* parts…just new challenging parts, lol! Although giving up sleep is a biggie for me and I was glad when Bella finally managed to do that. Now it’s just dragging her OUT of bed, lol!
What am I going to do when my last baby doesn’t want to snuggle in my lap anymore???? I can’t even think about it!!!
I love your comment about pausing life for a moment. It really helps me to remember how precious every minute I have with my children is. I am the type of mom who wishes my kids never had to grow up. Mine are 4 & 6 and I just adore their sweetness.
Thanks for a great blog. I am going to head over to your Read Explore Learn party to link up.
Shauna
myshaenoel.blogspot.com
My “baby” is turning 8 in a couple of months and my oldest, 12, so I can relate. It goes by so fast.
I have decided that my babies are always going to be called “the babies” regardless of age. I am the mom. I do want I want…haha!
Awwww, that’s so sweet!!
Beautiful, poignant. As always.
And excellent reminder Shell! Thank you!
I know the feeling! I wish I could just stop time. I even wish I could go back a few years and enjoy them for one day!
I so identify with this. I just want to freeze frame life during a hug. Please?
I’m SO with you. I keep telling my boys to stop growing. They seem to think they can do it for me, if only it were that easy…
All so true! We really should stop wishing time and moments away. Thanks for the reminder Shell!
Each phase of our kids’ lives is different than the last, but I don’t think it gets easier. I, too, wish I could pause life. I look forward to what my “babies” will become, but I also want them to stay little forever.
I want to pause the snuggles too. They just can’t be beat. But I still want them out of diapers 😉
Having a child to fit on your lap is one of life’s greatest joys – I’m positive.
I think we always catching ourselves trying to get to the next stage hoping that it is super easy…however when we do that we are also missing the small things that we won’t to get to enjoy once they get bigger. Great post! 🙂
And with that, I am tearing up over my coffee. I shooed my Cherubs onto the bus half an hour ago and am now rehashing whether I hugged them hard enough before they left. This was a wonderful post.
Great post Shell! We do try and rush through things like that but when they are older we will wish we hadn’t!
Great pick girlie! 🙂
It only gets harder and busier. And my baby is finishing kindergarten. It’s bittersweet. But that being said, every age is hard and every age is great. Pausing to enjoy the precious and sweet moments is key.
So beautifully put! And how many of life’s best moments do we miss by waiting for the next moment. We need to learn to live NOW.
I love Shell, she always writes things so simply and in a way that makes you enjoy and think about each word.
I know that now that my twins are 3, I want to slow down the world, to have just a few more moments of “everything”
this was really wonderful!
I read her blog as well. She is so brave to write about such vulnerable things. There should be more bloggers like her. This is a great post.
I love Shell!!
This post is such a lovely reminder about enjoying all of their moments. I swear every age is my “favorite”, and I know how much I will miss the baby-ness of the snuggles and giggles. I am so excited to see what they will become, but I wish I could keep them in the little safety bubble of my arms and my lap at the same time!
Hi Shell!
My little guy is 5 1/2 and he’s getting so grown up. He’s already talking about which girl at school “wants to marry him!” He’s so fun right now and still likes to cuddle and give tons of hugs.
I’m dreading the day – which i know will be here sooner than i’d like – that it’s not ‘cool’ for him to give mommy hugs and kisses anymore. Yes, i would definitely pause right now.
Shell is awesome! I am already starting to mourn this loss and my baby just turned 1! So easy to not like now- but so important too
So much talk of stopping time in the blogosphere of late.
Can I sign up?
I want to keep them like this – right now!
What a perfect message. And one those of us without children should listen to more often as well.
As always, Shell hit the nail on the head. So true…
Great post! I totally know how you feel, mine are almost 7 and almost 5 and will both be in elementary school in September, I can’t believe it! They grow up too fast, and I often have looked forward to the next thing, but now is great, pausing right now would be perfect!
I couldn’t agree more! And don’t you love a sister-friend who’s so willing to share her secrets and encourage? Love that!
Such a beautiful post! I want to freeze time too. Every day my husband and I look at eachother and say— I don’t want the baby to get any bigger! Wish us luck with that;)
Thank you so much for having me and for the sweet introduction!
Tis true – our children grow up way to fast, and if I could press a pause button now, I surely would 🙂 At 15 I know I only have a few short years left with my “baby” and it makes me sad to think about that.
My baby just turned 2 and I wish I could pause life sometimes so that she remains the little ball of cuteness that she is now.
This was beautiful. I have 3 boys too, 6, 5 and 4. My Baby goes to school in September and I am convincing myself that I want him to go, but this made me tear up, it is so true once he goes, I am here alone without my boys! 🙁 Thank you, So beautiful!
I’ve been feeling this way a lot lately. Riley is 4, and suddenly seems so old. And my baby is now out of diapers. It just goes too fast.
Your post is so beautiful! It felt so great reading it!
Pausing is so important! And yet, so difficult. Great post!
Wow! So true! I need to take a moment and be thankful for where I am with the kids!
I feel this way, that it’s so important to pause. I don’t want to look forward to other things, I want to enjoy what is. It’s going too quickly!
Shell beautifully put into words exactly how I feel about my own boys who are growing up fast. One is finishing preschool and the older one is finishing 1st grade. I feel they are close to not needing me anymore! Any day now I bet the older one will tell me to stop holding his hand. Pause button. I need a pause button!
I love this post for several reasons! Yes take a moment to enjoy the moment with my little monkey but also it reminds me of what blogging has brought to my life… new friends!! Crazy what a little blogging can do for ya!!
so right… and so beautiful
How could I have missed Shell being here?
This series is a goldmine.
It makes all of us bloggers, pause and think about our lives.
I love this.