Have you ever had one of those weeks where you say, “HOW ON EARTH is it Friday already?” I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Fridays. I look forward especially to our family time reserved for Friday nights – pizza, games, movie watching all snuggled together on the couch…

What I mean is, does it feel like time is going faster than it used to? I remember school years lasting forrrrever. Days lasted forever – going outside with friends, building tree forts, darting from garden snakes with my best friend….I just don’t feel like it FEELS that way anymore, does that make sense? I feel like each day is packed with phrases like, “hurry up, we’re late!”, “stop dawdling…we have to GO!” and all of a sudden, I blink twice and all of a sudden the kids are tucked in bed once again.

I don’t like it.

So two major things have happened this week. #1. Since Allie is now 3, we decided to finally get rid of her crib. It’s going to it’s new owner in about an hour and a half. It’s all cleaned and shiny and I looked at it thinking about the new mom with her first baby…she’ll get that crib/changing table home, organize it with all the new pretty blankets and onesies, pack it full of anticipation and excitement. How does all of that anticipation (which again seems like an eternity when you’re pregnant) all of a sudden, it’s over?

Don’t get me wrong…there are no more babies for the Wilds family. I am excited and ready to move past the diapers and midnight feedings and high chair crumbs…but there’s a sadness to closing that chapter in my life and moving on. That sadness is multiplied as I look at my oldest, now eleven year old, gorgeous girl. She was a baby only a half a breath ago. She’s turning into the sweetest, most caring and loving young lady. She’s smart, a hard worker and really has a heart for other people (with the exception of her brother, of course). She’s got such a bright future ahead of her.

That brings me to event #2 that is making me cry. Yesterday, I took her to get a hair cut. Not just any hair cut. She wanted to cut in bangs and get layers….now since she was a baby, I’ve always just kept it long and straight – she’s really looked the same since she was a year old! Something nice and secure feeling about that. So of course we stopped at the studio to snap a few “before” pictures and then ran back to get some afters. I cannot believe how it changed her face. It hit me with the reality that my time is running short with her. Eleven…. She’s heading to middle school in the fall. She’s got seven short years with us before she’s off to college in pursuit of her own dreams. It’s killing me to think about it. HOW FAST does seven years go? It goes fast my friends! Too fast.

My goal in these next seven years is to really make them count. I want to be more purposeful in my days and with my precious time given to me to be with my kids. I don’t know what the answer is – the answer to all the rushing and hurrying and the fact that there are not enough hours in the day…I just wish I could grab her and stuff her into a genie bottle….But then again, I know I have to share her with the world. I just don’t want to!

Here’s some before and after images of my big girl…

And the aftermath..

Call Teresa today and allow me the honor of capturing the milestones in your child’s life. There is no better gift to your children (or yourself) than professional portraits to treasure for a lifetime. My studio specializes in baby and child portrait art and is located in the heart of St. Petersburg on 4th Street. I’d love to hear from you!
Teresa can be reached via email teresa@wildsugarphotography.com or call anytime at 727-366-5191.