I am sitting on the couch right now after finding out some really terrible news about some dear friends of ours. Their little boy, who is only a month older than Rowan has been diagnosed with something very serious. I feel paralyzed thinking about how precious life is. How unfair things can feel and how, in an instant everything can change. My hair is a mess, I haven’t really gotten dressed yet and everything I was so worried about getting done today seems so trivial.
I just put Rowan down for her nap. I didn’t bring my phone in with me today. I usually am mulit-tasking to try to catch up on everything as I feed her. Today, I wanted to be there with her in the moment. I rocked her to sleep and just cried and prayed for so many things. I sat there cuddling her, loving her and thinking about all the things we take for granted.
I made a list in my head of some of my most loved things about Rowan. I wanted to share them so I will always remember them. Life gets very busy and sometimes the small things slip thru the cracks. I really want to be able to focus on the small things. To focus on love, to encourage others and to make the most out of each day.
1. I love that Rowan is starting to have long enough hair, that she has little curls growing at the back.
2. I love the smile she gives when she is kinda confused or unsure. It’s this scrunched up face, showing off all her teeth.
3. I love the way she yells Dada when Kev walks in the door.
4. I love how excited she gets when looking at photographs of family.
5. I love the ear piecing, high pitched squeal she does.
6. I love her Beavis and Butthead laugh she has.
7. I love how you can tell she loves new adventures. New places, new faces, this little girl just loves being out and about.
8. I love that when she falls asleep on you and she tucks her arms up underneath her.
9. I love that she tries to get from one object to the next without holding on. She can’t walk yet, but she gets her legs going and hopes she can make it to the next object before she fall down.
10. I love how she points and says, “oooooh” at everything. Her little pointer finger cracks me up. We are always joking that she is saying, “just one thing guys.”
11. I love when she waves right at the right time.
12. I love her extra cubby little baby feet, that don’t fit into any baby shoes.
13. I love listening to her entertain herself in the car.
14. I love the open mouth, slobbery kisses that she gives.
15. and finally I love how much she is going to be a little daddy’s girl.
I am so sorry to hear about your friend. It is always sad to hear about someone who is sick but when it’s a child. I like your list, great way to seize life with love!
What a wonderful way to share your love for Rowan, Jen! Definitely keeping your friends in my thoughts. My family lost a sweet baby much too early years ago and it’s the kind of thing I wouldn’t wish on anyone. <3
So sorry Jen! I hope everything gets better for your friends and their baby. Sending much love their way! <3
Praying for your friends and their little one. It seems so bleak now, but God brings so many good things even out of the worst circumstances. Praying for peace over each of you. Thanks for sharing your list. Have a wonderful holiday weekend with your family! <3
Your friends and their baby are in my thoughts and prayers. I cannot imagine what they are going through. It really makes you stop and think about all the little blessings around us. When you said you stopped your multi-tasking and just gave Rowan your full attention, I closed up my computer and took my baby outside to look at nature for awhile. We get stuck in our day-to-day tasks that seem so important at the time but sometimes we need to stop and pay attention to the beauty right in front of us. Thank you for making me see that. I love your list of favorite things about Rowan. She is a beautiful child and seems like such a sweet little girl. We are very lucky to have our children. :o) Take care.
So sorry to hear about your friends son, Jen 🙁 Relatives of me had a dead little baby boy because of problems in the pregnancy. We realized back then exactly what you did: we take everything for guaranteed and never actually think about those bad things that can happen to the little ones 🙁 I’m so sorry because I can really feel with you right now! Rowan is such a stunning, lovely little girl. I love your list of things, it made me smile- she’ll be such a proud and happy girl when she one day reads what you wrote about her. It’s such a lovely way to remind her of her childhood. Keep up your gorgeous blog 🙂
This hits close to home today. Yesterday at my daughter’s 15 month checkup the doctor noticed that her right eye wasn’t responding to light as fast as it should. We had no idea anything was wrong because she is a full on happy toddler, running around and babbling like crazy. Her eye could have meant a number of things, including a cancerous tumor. We went to a specialist at All Children’s hospital this morning and found out that she is just very far sited in her right eye and she will need to wear glasses to correct it. You never think that anything could be wrong with your absolutely perfect baby so your world definitely gets turned upside down when you find out something is wrong. Your friend is in my thoughts.
i am sad to hear about your friends and their son – i wish them lots of luck, love and strength through their difficult time.
i love your list about rowan – it is very special. she is lucky to have such a wonderful and inspiring mother. xox
ps: this picture of rowan makes me want to smooch the top of her head a million times.
Such a wonderful reminder. Thank you for the inspiration. I am going to journal the same for my sweet baby boys that are growing up so so fast.
I’m very sorry to hear about your friend. I hope everything works out alright. It is so hard when young children become ill.
Your list is absolutely wonderful. I’m all about focusing on the lovely, little things and making the most out of every moment. 🙂 Rowan is so lucky to have such a wonderful and caring mother. 🙂
it’s crazy how fragile life is and how quickly everything can change. i like the fact that you’re focusing on the little, precious things you love about life, and especially about Rowan. those are the things you’ll want to remember in 2 or 5 or 10 years. thanks for sharing your sweet sweet list.
how beautiful that in grief you found some possible healing through your gratefulness of what is right in front of you. What a great reminder to just stop and take a moment to reflect. Sending positive thoughts and vibes to your friends.
Sabrina
I’m so sorry about your friends little one!:( Rowan is such a special, lovely, little girl, and she has a wonderful mom. xo
Thoughts go with your friends and their family. I truly hope everything works out for the best.
I’ll be praying for the little boy and sending thanks that you understand how precious each day of Rowan’s life is. It is such a short time that she’s this age…enjoy every minute of every stage, even the annoying ones… She’ll be grown before you know it…
What a sweet post. There us a excerpt from a poem by Ruth H. Hamilton that resonates strongly with me that says “quiet down cobwebs dust go to sleep, I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep” I think it’s easy as mother to loose perspective on what’s important.
Thank you for posting this real post Jen! Sigh it breaks my heart to think about what your friends are going trough:( it makes ne very thankful also for my three little ones! I will treasure today!!! Thank you for inspiring all of us tone real and make the most of every moment.
I said a prayer for your friends.
We just forget too often what we have and only realize it, when it is too late…
Thank you for this reminder, again.
Beautiful post, as a new mom it brought tears to my eyes
thanks for sharing about your friend… loved what you said about Rowan. she is so lucky to have you as a momma.
ps. happy C-Day! hope you are able to celebrate it a bit around all the other celebrations. are you wearing your pin?!
Sorry to hear about your friend’s situation! What a sweet list you wrote for Rowan…you are both lucky to have each other.