“Time is a companion who reminds us to cherish every moment because it will never come again.”

“Time is a companion who reminds us to cherish every moment because it will never come again.”

My, my, what a difference a couple of days makes.

Just a few days ago, I was posting about how “under pressure” I felt in so many ways lately – from workouts, to my career, to my relationship, to my auntie duties – all of it felt like a ton of bricks on my shoulders.

But today?

I’m taking it all in. I’m cherishing the time I have with my niece while she and my sister are still living with me. I sense our time together is ticking to a stop soon and now I am holding onto every moment for dear life. Because these are moments I will never get back. I have SUCH a unique opportunity to bond with Isabel in a way that I never would have had the chance to do if Jen were home and none of this had ever happened. Not that I wish none of it did happen (because it involved a lot of pain and suffering for Jen), but I realize I’ve been given a gift. Once that I could never hope to return or repay.

I am so in love with Isabel – her little coos, the way she wraps her hand around my fingers when I feed her, the “happy baby” smile she gives me after she’s been fed, burped and changed, the look of joy in her eyes as she discovered she really did love that swing with the soothing music afterall.

All of it, I love all of it.

Even the poopy diaper I inadvertently stuck my finger into when throwing the trash away this morning. <ew> But relaying that story to Jen made her giggle and that made it worth it – because she’s smiling again. She’s healing, she’s discovering what being a mom is all about, and I get to be there to witness it.

I am so lucky.

It even dawned on me the other night when Jo spent the night to take over “baby duty” that this was one of the first times we were all sleeping under one roof since we were 24. Kind of cool – strangely comforting to know that all three of us were together, safe and sound.

I am cherishing these moments.

I will never get them back.

I am loving my auntie duties…and my sister duties.

I am lucky to have them in my lives. There is nothing better than the love of a sister…or the love of a niece for that matter.

And for the record – how can you not love this face?? I told her to “smile for auntie” and she stuck her tongue out at me. What do you s’pose that means?? 😉