One thing I am learning as a new Mom is the importance of slowing down in life. Here is how I’m changing my ways to enjoy the little things in life.
I have always been a countdown person. I count down to Christmas starting after the day it ends. I count down to vacations, birthdays, and anniversaries. I count down to the last day of school. I counted down the days to my wedding. I counted down the days to my due date. If you asked me last year, or really any time in the last 28 years of my life when I could actually count, I could roughly give you how many days were left until my birthday.
Countdowns make the time go by faster because they give you something to look forward to. Long days seem much shorter when there is something to celebrate in your future. Plus, there is a joy in crossing days off of a calendar or seeing a countdown timer tick away on your phone. Countdowns are exciting. They are something to do to literally pass the time.
Slowing Down in Life
Ever since Annabelle was born, I deleted my countdown app. I don’t know how many days are left until my birthday and I certainly don’t know how many weeks/days/hours/minutes are left until Christmas. I don’t want to rush through my life anymore. I just want to enjoy every single second of it.
It’s funny – ever since I stopped counting down – I find that I can enjoy what’s going on around me a little more. I turn the television off when I am home alone with Annabelle and we play. We sing. We dance. When she naps, gone is the lazy hour spent in front of the tv. I now take my time to get things done around the house so when she wakes up we can play again. On the weekends, my husband and I take advantage of our time together as a family. We go for walks. We have snuggle fun time in bed with the baby. We sing and dance and make memories with Annabelle.
My Mom is coming to visit next week, and we are going to the beach the day after she leaves, so even though I want her here OH SO BAD, I am trying to stretch out the time until she gets here. Why should I waste a week away with my daughter ? When she gets here, I will try to appreciate every single second we have together, so we’re not looking at one another when I drive her to the airport wondering, “Where did the week go?”
Don’t Rush the Day Away
Granted I know that this will change once I go back to work, that I will want to rush my school days so I can get home to my daughter, I am going to have to remind myself that we only get this one life. I’ll need to let my days drag so I don’t blink my eyes and find myself at Annabelle’s 5th birthday party.
I love this! It’s so hard not to ‘count down’ to things (Trips, holidays, visits, whatever) but then you realized you just wasted all that time waiting for something! It’s a labor of love I’ve been working on for a while ha
I love how you call it a ‘labor of love’ – so true!
What a great read…. Something I hope to live by as well
So happy you enjoyed this post!
I’ve been working on this a lot lately too. I found myself wanting to fast forward to when he is sleeping through the night, to when he’s bigger and can do more fun things, etc. Then I realized that he is learning and growing so much NOW that I really need to make sure I am present for it!
I love that you said you want to make sure you are “present” for it. It’s SO true that we rush through what we might think is ‘boring’ now but later on we will miss it!
Such a great point! I’m definitely one of those people that likes to have something to look forward to…and then when it’s over, I feel sad and must immediately find the next thing to look forward to. I think I often forget to live in the NOW! Thanks for the reminder!
You are very welcome! I can relate to the sad feeling you described! It’s like we build up things so much that you get depressed when its all over.
I love this. I do the same thing allll the time. Especially now with a little one on the way. I’m constantly counting down until the next doctors appointment, gender reveal, baby shower, BIRTH! etc. All such exciting things but I need to remember to just enjoy this time right now.
Thanks for the beautiful post as a reminder! 🙂
Oh gosh I tried to make my pregnancy go by SO fast! Next time I am going to slow things down and enjoy life a little so when the baby gets here I am not looking back thinking it was all a blur!
Such a great reminder that time in and of itself is precious. I enjoyed this post so much!
Thank you so much Courtney P.
This is so true. It made me cry because I found myself doing the same thing, and when Gracie Belle was born, time stopped… I didn’t want it to start again because I loved being lost in those moments with her. Now that she’s older and more independent it’s easier to let her keep herself occupied so I can work, but I have to remember this! Thank you, Caitlin!
You are so welcome Christiana!
Such a touching post! 🙂
Thank you – spoken from the heart. =0)
time does fly away…so better enjoy each and everyday
Great post..enjoy your mom…I haven’t seeing mine in over 7 years 🙁