SADLY THERE IS ONLY ONE FIRST

I remember how I first felt when the blood test confirmed I was pregnant. I remember the first fuzzy ultrasound photo and the sound of her heart beating. I remember the first time I held my tiny daughter in my arms. It brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. The first smile, giggle, and squeal all seem so long ago.

Today, my daughter is over five months old and I wonder just how those days flew by so quickly. My friends all warned me that this would happen especially in the first year. A few sleepless nights and several hundred diaper changes later, so many firsts have come and gone. I want to have those firsts again, but sadly, they are firsts for a reason.

I know there have been many special moments and there will be more to come. I've got numerous Facebook comments and photos on my laptop to attest to that. There are a hundred videos of her on the playmat, licking her plastic rings, and drooling all over the couch. I watch those clips often because I just can't believe how much she has grown. Wasn't I just in the hospital? I thought we just sent out the birth announcement.

In the next couple of months, I know to expect the first time she can sit completely on her own without keeling over in two minutes. I'll be there to witness the first time she'll take the bottle willingly because currently she is stubborn as heck and the sight of it sends her into a tizzy. I hope to hear her first words soon and maybe they'll resemble "Mama." There will be a day when she will crawl across the floor and throw herself into my arms.

As much as I can't wait for the day that I don't have to lug out the heavy stroller with the car seat and she can walk on her own, I also want things to slow down. I want to relive her firsts over and over again.

For all you moms out there (first or otherwise), treasure each and every moment you have with your baby. Time does fly when you are having fun, but with a baby, it goes by the speed of light.