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Getting bigger every day

I finally pulled all of Soren's 9-month clothes out of the mix with a bit of dismay yesterday. How can it be that he has gotten so big? I know it's long past his first birthday and I should have realized that meant he was more than 12 months old but--seriously, are they supposed to age this fast? If I blink my eyes, I'll find he has grown to middle-age while they were shut!

I'm determined to appreciate his current stage of development more. I've been struggling with my newfangled camera this past month but I can't afford to let the time just pass me by anymore. I need to take pictures and make videos and allow myself the time to just watch him play.

Why am I so worried about when he will reach the next developmental milestone? Why am I so caught up in getting his daily routine over and done with, instead of enjoying each moment as it passes?

I suppose no one can be acutely aware every moment of their child's life. No one can really live that fully in the moment. We all have to plan for the future and focus on important tasks in the present. But somewhere in the mix, I need to make more time to watch and play.

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