As a mum I constantly find myself wishing away precious moments. It is not an intentional activity. I just get so completely excited about my 11-month-old baby girl’s life that I find myself saying things like “I wish Amelia could talk already” or “I can’t wait for Amelia to start walking”. The anticipation linked to these exciting events almost overrides the beautiful moments that are occurring… well, in the moment. I forget that soon Amelia will no longer need to crawl and perhaps I would have missed out on moments that will never again come to pass. I breast-fed Amelia until she was nearly 10 months old and I remember that the couple of weeks before I stopped, I almost forgot to enjoy those last moments of intimacy that I will never again experience with my daughter in quite the same way. It really does bring a tear to my eye. I look at photos of my princess before that first tooth invaded her little mouth and I just miss that gummy smile so much. I also miss what I used to call ‘Amelia’s snaggle tooth’ – that one tooth that protruded from the top of her mouth. So precious. I guess that ‘growing up’ is something that parents have to come to terms with, and although the future really is so exciting it is important to live in the moment with our children. And thank goodness for digital media – photos and videos help us never to forget!
