The thick of it

Tonight, we were at a park eating a picnic dinner and Olive was playing. I nursed Mae on a park bench, took Olive to the bathroom (twice), while Sam had Mae in the sling. As usual, one person at a time got to wolf down a quick dinner before handing off the baby so the other could eat.

A woman was there with her two school aged children. As she walked past us she said, "wow, you're in the thick of it'". We chatted about how old the girls were, how we are doing, etc.

As we drove home, I was thinking about what she said. In the thick of it. We really are. This is one of the busiest (and maybe hardest?) times of our lives. We are "on" all the time. There is no down time, someone always needs something, and we are giving ourselves and one another very little attention because we don't have any left. The day to day is so exhausting and sometimes I wish it away to a time when it will be easier...more calm...more routine. I have to tell myself to just get through the day, hour, minute.

But there are these moments when I realize it's all so fleeting. Olive trying to convince me that the phrase is "I be Claire" rather than "I declare", Mae slung over my shoulder, sleeping and snoring at 4 am, all almost-12-pounds of her resting on me in such a trusting baby way.

They will never be this little again, they will never need us as much as they do right now. They will never want us as much as they do now.

This is it. This is the time we have with them as little girls.

The thick of it is mighty quick. These are the days we will reminisce about. The good and bad.

We will look back on these days and wish for them to return, I have no doubt.

Sweet little ladies.