How Do You Remember to Live in the Moment?

I just found out yesterday that a man in my community passed away. It was completely unexpected and random. He wasn't sick. He left behind a wife and three daughters. This type of tragedy has struck 3 families I know of in the last year. It makes me realize that all we actually have is "the moment". Savor each and every one.

When you reach a certain age you can't do anything but live in the moment. When your children are starting families, your parents and grandparents are dying or gone already, the world is falling apart around us, we realize we are not promised tomorrow. We aren't even promised tonight. Now is all we have.

When I go to bed at night I still dream about being in school, driving to and from school, having babies of my own, and I dream about my father and grandparents that are dead. When I wake up I realize that I'm dreaming about events that were over 20-30 years ago.

It may be morbid, but I always think that in an instant things can change. God blessed me with my family and He can take them away, or me away, tomorrow. So when my husband is chewing like a cow, I think that if something were to happen to him, I would give anything to have him back chewing like a cow! Same thing goes with my kids. When I get mad at something silly, I try to stop and think if it is really worth the time and energy to get mad; I should just hug and kiss them!

When you are living with a new born baby, it feels like an eternity because you aren't sleeping... you aren't living... you aren't doing so many things...
Just enjoy as much of it as you can. Take lots of pictures.
Time flies... enjoy the little things.
Pretty soon they are off to college and on to their own lives.
LBC

What a great question.

I set aside time every night (or almost every night) to sit and relax with just the baby. I rock him and hold him, take in all his smells. Feel his face next to mine. I have two older children, and I remember doing this with them. I am all too aware of how quickly the time goes.

When you find yourself wishing this, stop what you are doing and pick up that baby. It means you are too overwhelmed or stressed with whatever you are doing. Take 5 minutes to hold the baby and calm yourself.

We all do it - when you realize you are doing it, stop! Redirect. Nothing is more important than holding and loving them!

=)

Just trying to NOT imagine that ever present 'timer' above my head.... ya know, that thing Moms have where we 'have to' do everything by a certain time. Thus, we never relax.

So, just stop.
Don't do everything.
Just hang out.
And when baby is napping, do NOTHING!
And... DO NOT feel guilty about it!

I remind myself that I can NEVER get back this time with my child again.. I can never experience his being a specific age again and never experience all his firsts.... Therefore, I also choose my battles and often will let the small things roll off my back... enjoy your 8 week old..... as you are reading the responses you get from your post, your baby is growing up....... time does go by so quickly... IF I had it to do all over again, gosh I'd pick my little baby up and hold him even more and just squish those chubby little legs he had.. his baby soft skin.. all those things you miss... holding the baby in the night... that light gently breathing they make.... granted you might feel so weary and tired but those are precious times... even their voices.. they change so much.. enjoy each stage with all the sounds they make.... it's all so amazing..

blessings

Just think in 20 or 30 years you'll say to yourself, "I would do anything to go back for ONE day when I had an 8 week old baby". Then imagine this is the one day you got to go back.

Hi S. -- I read this a few days ago and have been meaning to write. I have a 6-month-old daughter and still feel the same way you do. I've talked to many new mom friends who also feel similarly. You are SO not alone. :)

At any given moment, I can rattle off a list of at least 6 things I need to do and don't have time for. I look at my house in disarray, my overflowing inbox, my body (hello!) and I sometimes just want to sit on the floor and cry! I just can't seem to get it all done.

I think as new moms (regardless of how many kids you may already have) we place upon ourselves an unspoken pressure to do EVERYTHING ... and to do it PERFECTLY! We must cut ourselves some slack. You do the best you can and the rest will work itself out. Right now, I often don't feel like I'm that good at many things, but one thing I AM good at is being a mom to my beautiful little girl. And that, I keep reminding myself, is the most important thing.

Everytime I look at my son.

He was a 2 month preemie and spent his first 2 months in the NICU. B/c we weren't sure if he would live day to day, I made myself enjoy my time w/him each day and didn't worry about the next day. So just sitting and looking at him was a blessing. To hold him was heaven!

Obviously it's very easy for everyone to get caught up in the everyday and the demands of children. What keeps me "in check" is reminding myself of this, "you never know when something could happen to you, your husband, or children." Not that you have to live your life always saying this, but keep it in the back of your mind.

I have two stories that may help... While pregnant with my twins, I found out I had kidney cancer and had to have a kidney removed while 18 weeks pregnant. Luckily it was caught early and everything has been fine since (this was 11 yrs ago)but somedays when I'm struggling with my kids or stressed about whatever I will take a moment to remember how lucky I am to be here. Second story, just this past spring my husband's brother was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and died 3 weeks later. He left behind a wife and 2 beautiful boys, ages 5 and 3, they won't remember their father. This too makes me take a step back, take a deep breath and then deal with whatever is going on while remembering how lucky I am.

Don't sweat the small stuff, its ALL small stuff. Be kind to myself and others. ENJOY time with my kids and family. Let the housework be and do a little bit every day at the end of the day.

Instead of thinking what your 8week old can't do yet, think of what he/she can do!!! TAKE PICTURES!