Five on Friday - Thanks for the Memories

These last couple of weeks have been emotionally trying.  Jacob’s fifth birthday is rapidly approaching and Kindergarten is looming, we’ve watched him conquer his fear of water during swim lessons, and we have been in the process of transforming his baby nursery into a big boy room which means…

Bye bye baby stuff. 

Needless to say, I’ve been a bit of a wreck lately.  It feels like everything is changing and I’ve been reminded 3,658,432 times these past two weeks that life is fleeting.  That my days of having small children are numbered.  And that time marches on even when we don’t want it to. 

I’ve had to say goodbye to many things these last couple of weeks that will always hold a special place in my heart.

O N E – Jacob’s Mural

See that mural over Jacob’s bed?  My Daddy hand painted that when Jacob was nestled all snug in my belly in the spring of 2011.  That beautiful tree and its graceful branches have stretched over my sweet boy every single night of his life since he was moved into his bedroom at just four months old.  I can hardly believe that it’s been painted over… a fresh coat of Sticks and Stones now covers it, the perfect color for a big boy’s room.

Last picture of the mural - 7/2/2016

T W O – Jacob’s Glider Rocker

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I rocked Jacob in this rocker… hundreds and hundreds.  I held him during the day in this rocker and cradled him through the night when he was sick in this rocker.  We read hundreds of books in this rocker, we laughed, we cried, and we prayed in this rocker.  It holds thousands of sweet memories for us and just this week it was sent on its way to hopefully become a source of many more good memories for the family who now has it.

One last snuggle in the glider rocker before it's picked up - 7/7/2016

  

T H R E E – Nursery Paintings

As soon as I found out that we were having a boy, I immersed myself in planning the nursery.  I had a vision of what I wanted, but I couldn’t find anything to go along with that vision, so I decided to hand-paint all of the pieces myself.  I did a little each day here and there – on lunchbreaks, after work, and on weekends – until they were all completed.  All the while, Jacob was right there with me, rolling around lazily in my belly, kicking me, or sleeping peacefully in his quiet cocoon.  I haven’t technically sold them yet, but they have already been removed from his room and I know that they are too big to keep so we will have to say goodbye sometime in the near future.

F O U R – Bottle Rack

This has been a permanent fixture on our kitchen counter for five years now.  Five.  It has held our babies’ first bottles, their first sippy cups, breast pumping equipment, syringes, pacifiers, teething rings, and everything else you could ever possibly need to wash for a baby.  It was replaced with a frame this week, and its absence is just one more reminder that our baby phase in life is now over.

Last picture of the bottle rack - 7/10/2016

F I V E – Puffs

These have been a staple in our home since Jacob was old enough to sit up.  We went through tons and tons of cans of these between our two children.  They taught our babies how to chew, they taught them how to hone their pincer grasps, and they saved our butts countless times at restaurants when the kids would get fussy.  I don’t think I have ever been so sad to throw a container in the recycling bin.  The last can of Puffs ever.

Last can of Puffs ever - 7/7/2016

I know that these are all material possessions and I know that we are not supposed to let ourselves get attached to things, but these sweet things hold thousands of memories of sweet times with my babies and they will be forever missed.

Mommies of tiny babies, please squeeze them a little tighter tonight.  Before you know it, you’ll be trading in their bottles for sippy cups, you’ll be converting their baby cribs to big boy and girl beds, and their pudgy limbs will be lengthening and thinning out until there’s not a single trace of baby fat in sight. 

It can be really tough letting go.

*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday Favorites,  September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday, Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, Cup of Tea for High Five for Friday, and Our Pretty Little Girls for Rewind Friday!