K. Manchuck Photography

I was watching my daughter’s softball game when another mom’s little one came over and asked her for help going to the bathroom.
She laughed, stood up -again- and went with him.
And in that moment, it hit me—
that season of my life is gone.
My kids don’t need me for the little things anymore. The buttoning, bathroom trips, brushing teeth, bedtime snuggles—it’s all behind us now.

Part of me misses it. But honestly? I’m loving watching them grow into their own funny, strong, kind, independent people.
(And I don’t mind sleeping through the night again either 😉)
I’m still the snack packer, water bottle filler, teacher, taxi driver, and late-night listener—and that’s just fine with me.🤍
If you’re in the thick of it right now, tired and dreaming of easier days—
just remember, one day you’ll miss these, too. 🤍
✨So snuggle your babies and share this with a mama who needs this reminder too. ✨

Someone handed me a baby this week. 🤍
I was at a homeschool event when another mom—family in tow—walked up and handed me her baby.
“Can you take her for a minute?”
Before I could answer, she was in my arms.
And as I wrapped her up and laid her tiny chest on mine, it all came rushing back. ✨
The late-night feedings.
The rocking and pacing.
The snuggles.
That newborn smell.
The fuzzy hair and tiny fingers.
Do I miss when my babies were that little?
Absolutely.
Do I love where they are now?
A hundred times yes.
That’s the beautiful, bittersweet thing about motherhood—
We can miss what was
and still fully love what is.
We can hold both truths. 🤍
So if you’re in the thick of it, mama, pause for a second today.
Breathe it in.
You’re doing so, so well.

This week, the American Girl catalog showed up in the mail.
In years past, this was a big day for my daughter—she would examine every page, carefully circling her favorites, contemplating which doll she should put on her Christmas list. One year she even saved enough to buy one herself.
This year, I asked her if she wanted to look at it. “Should I keep it, or do you want me to throw it away?”
My breath caught in my chest while I waited for her response - even though I knew what it would be.
Without even glancing up, she said, “Uhhh…you can throw it away.”
“Are you sure?” I think I was asking for me, not her.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
And just like that, another little season of childhood slipped quietly into the next.
*deep breath *

Motherhood is like that…One moment we’re holding them on our chest for the very first time, breathing in that brand-new baby smell, and the next, we’re realizing they’ve outgrown something that once felt so important.
God gave us Moms the gift (and sometimes the ache) of feeling it all so deeply—the snuggles, the belly laughs, the long nights, and yes, even the goodbyes to old stages.
If you’re in or about to be in the newborn or baby season right now, friend, soak it up.
Savor the middle-of-the-night cuddles. Kiss their cheeks a hundred times. Let yourself be fully present, because these moments really do go faster than we ever expect.
And when you want something tangible to hold on to—something that will take you back to the way their tiny fingers curled around yours or the way their head fit perfectly on your shoulder—that’s what photographs are for.
They become the little time machines that transport us back to those days long after our babies are grown.
As for me, I’ll throw the catalog away tomorrow. Maybe. 🤍