a time of 1sts

There is something so magical in his voice when I hear, "mom, this is my 1st time!".  His excitement and appreciation just pours out of him.  The purity of it all is so precious to me.

Like the 1st time he went to the ocean.

Or seeing a jelly fish....

or viewing the horizon with his daddy's binoculars

The 1st time he builds a sand castle

and runs from the surf....

To a little boy who can't wait to grow up, his time of 1st's are pure magic.

However, to a mommy who thinks the time is going by too fast, its bitter sweet.

I do truly joy in his excitement of these things and seeing him grow from the tiny babe I held in my arms to this little young man he is becoming.   Its just that I want the moments to last and instead they go by in a flash.  Recognizing that I'll never get this chance again to experience a 1st, with the joy also comes with the longing for it to stay.

Maybe that's why he is so excited for his 1st times.  The purity of the events.  Recognizing that it doesn't matter if its a big thing or a little thing, its his 1st time so its special.

This weekend will be another time of 1st for us - replacing his toddler bed (converted crib) with a "big boy" bed.  I must say I tear up thinking about selling his crib.  There's not a need to keep it, but the memories it holds begins to flood me.

The joy I had when I was expecting buying it and setting it up in anticipation for our little miracle
The tiny babe swaddled so tighly I called him my "baby burrito"
The marks on the railing as his cut his 1st teeth
The 1st time he said "mommy"

The 1st time he said "i love you"

The 1st time he slept in it "toddler style" and I worried he would fall out
The 1st time he actually did fall out
The 1st time he slept through the night with no "accidents"

....and now, coming up to the last time he sleeps in it.

Last night we were reading before bed in our preschool devotional about how Jesus grew in "body and spirit" and the "grace of God was upon Him".  It really blows me away how in every single aspect of our life, Jesus is our example.  He modeled it for us.  I can only imagine how Mary must have watched Him grow and wanted to treasure each moment of her miracle from the Lord.    But Jesus was not a babe for long - He had a purpose to accomplish.

Watching my own son grow in body and spirit, I pray that the grace of God is upon him also.  And it is.  I see it in his little character and spirit.  Tender and precious - yet determined to grow and take on his purpose in life.

I will treasure the moments, the 1st's, but I do know that they lead to a purpose.  For that, my heart leaps.