When Your Baby Turns 12

Another birthday boy in the house calls for another celebration. You'd think we're always partying around here, but my kids know our birthday affairs are typically quite simple. Before my boy Jacob gets to the teenage years when he may shy away from birthday pictures for a while, I made sure to ask for a snapshot with him yesterday. Andrew was behind the camera for this spontaneous moment and he captured the sentiment of my heart excellently.

There are always 'lasts' in motherhood, and most of these last moments happen without notice. There was a last time I carried each of my infants nestled in the crook of my arm, a last time I carried them on my hip. There was a last time I gave butterfly kisses with my eyelashes, a last time for bedtime stories, a last time I tickled them to tears at bedtime, a last time for obnoxious zerberts. There was, in fact, a last time they needed me for nearly every single thing they do for themselves. There have been a thousand last times.

And there will be many more.

This is all good; it is meant to be. But isn't it good I don't always know the moment is happening? I'm pretty certain I couldn't handle it!

With my youngest child, though, I seem all the more aware of these last moments. Jacob is entering his last year of childhood, my very last kiddo. I had to scoop him up and hold him one last time, just to make sure I remembered this one 'last.'

He thought I was a tiny bit crazy. I do so enjoy this kiddo!

Then I said, "Ok, Ok. I'll be serious. Let's try again." That lasted 15 seconds until I scooped him up again to make that last moment happen just one more time! Andrew captured a few more crooked, blurry shots I will treasure and we will laugh at!

~Katherine