If I could keep you little...

Our little man turned one month last Tuesday (yeah I'm a bit behind).  It's number 3 right?  :)  At least I'm attempting to keep up with it!  I have lots of pictures to add and that will come…but I can't help but thinking about life in these moments I've had holding him.  Today was his baptism.  We were surrounded by family, new friends and old friends…and we were so thankful to experience this Sacrament in the context of our wonderful church community.  I'm just so humbled after days like today, at the richness of our lives because of the relationships we have.  Our children are so blessed…and they experience the love of Christ in all these people around them.  My family truly pitched in to make this happen…and we are just so grateful.

After it was all over I sat in the chair holding Asher.  He was so quiet and calm…and of course the mother in me just stared in awe at this little creation.  I kept hearing the words of a book I read a year ago while shopping with a friend of mine in Galena.  The mantra stirs in my mind sometimes and I'm caught…in the tension of wanting to freeze time and knowing that moving forward is the only option.  I honestly stared at Ash and couldn't believe that he is a month old already, that we have three children who have been baptized…that we have this little family unit that is just full of so much love (a little bit of chaos) and a lot of new adventures.  The book is called, If I could keep you little…'  Wouldn't that be great?  Asher was a 10lb baby…and yet a lot of people who see him comment on how small he is.  I think thats because we forget what an infant looks like, how tender they are to the touch and how tiny they seem in comparison to our great big world.

And so…I know you must grow up my children…and I welcome the adventures along the way.  But there will be a part of my heart that will always wish that I could keep you little…

"If I Could Keep You Little"
Written and Illustrated by: Marianne Richmond

If I could keep you little,
I'd hum you lullabies.
But then I'd miss you singing
your concert's big surprise.

If I could keep you little,
I'd hold your hand everywhere.
But then I'd miss you knowing,
"I can go... you stay there."

If I could keep you little,
I'd kiss your cuts and scrapes.
But then I'd miss you
learning from your own mistakes.

If I could keep you little,
I'd strap you in real tight.
But then I'd miss you swinging
from your treetop height.

If I could keep you little,
I'd decide on matching clothes.
But then I'd miss you choosing
dots on top and stripes below.

If I could keep you little,
I'd cut your bread into shapes.
But then I'd miss you finding,
"Hey! I like ketchup with my grapes!"

If I could keep you little,
I'd tell you stories every night.
But then I'd miss you reading
the words you've learned by sight.

If I could keep you little,
I'd push you anywhere.
But then I'd miss you feeling
your speed from here to there!

If I could keep you little,
I'd pick for you a friend or two.
But then I'd miss you finding
friends you like who like you too!

If I could keep you little,
we'd finger-paint our art.
But then I'd miss you creating
stories from you heart.

If I could keep you little,
I'd push your ducky float.
But then I'd miss you feeling
the wind behind summer's boat.

If I could keep you little,
we'd nap in our fort midday.
But then I'd miss you sharing
adventures from camp away.

If I could keep you little,
I'd fly you with my feet.
But then I'd miss you seeing
sky and clouds from your seat.

If I could keep you little,
I'd keep you close to me.
But then I'd miss you growing
into who you're meant to be!