9 months? More Like 9 Seconds

Tomorrow, Mia turns 9 months old. When you first have a child, people come from all corners of the world to give you advice. The number one thing you hear is to appreciate the early stages because they fly by. The only issue with this advice is it is one of those things you can't really even comprehend until you have been through it and no longer need the advice. I have made a healthy attempt at mentally filing away all the memories and capturing all the moments. However, even with that, I cannot believe my baby girl has grown so fast. It seems like yesterday that I was driving her home from the hospital at about 30 mph with both hands on the steering wheel not knowing what to expect next. That same little girl can now literally stand to lean over and give me a kiss - a wet, slobbery, uncontrolled kiss, but a kiss. The only other time I have been more reminded of my inability to freeze time, and of the impossibility of stealing a few extra moments, was on my wedding day. Much like with Amelia, I tried to savor every moment from the first time I saw that beautiful girl to the fleeting seconds in which she leaned over to give her new husband a kiss. So, I suppose the only advice I have for anyone having a new baby, or getting married, is to enjoy the moment DURING the moment...and take lots of pictures because it goes by too quickly to soak it all in.