Don't Blink

There was an ad in a parenting magazine that I found when I was pregnant with The Boy. It was a black and white picture of a beautiful baby with big eyes. The words on the side of the picture read like this:

31,536,000 seconds.

525,600 minutes.

8,760 hours

365 days.

1 birthday candle.

Don't blink.

I cut that ad out and placed it on the fridge before I even gave birth to The Boy and whenever I would open the fridge on a sleepless night, or during the day when realities set in on how parenting is (mostly) hard work, I would see that ad and it would remind me that life is precious and it will certainly go quickly so enjoy it. I eventually pulled it off the fridge and put it in his baby book, but it made such an impact on my mind that I think of that ad often...especially in times when I start to believe that things will never change...that we will always be struggling with a certain issue (i.e. - sleepless nights, diapers, learning to read...it goes on and on!)

Today we celebrated The Girl's 6th birthday and it seems hard to believe that 6 years ago today I accidentally pushed snooze on a 5:30am alarm and the hubby and I were almost late for the scheduled birth of our second child! Of course nothing could've happened till I got to the hospital...But we felt a little guilty. That would NEVER have happened with the first baby!

3,153,600 minutes later and here we are.

This weekend will be filled with Princess parties and cake and ice cream and the prayers of a Mom and Dad that time would slow down...Just a bit...But just in case...

...Don't Blink.