Finding Time to Stop and Smell the Roses

I am, and have always been, a big "Stop and smell the roses" kind of gal. I like to deeply revel in the moment and enjoy where I am at in life. I always get up early on vacation so that I can enjoy the day to its fullest potential and each day think about what I did and how I enjoyed it so that my vacation seems to last longer. I try not to look ahead in life but plan for things to the best of my ability keeping in mind the "Lord willing" part :o)
I have to say I think I am pretty good at it too. I enjoyed high school but wouldn't go back. I enjoyed college and dating but wouldn't change anything or wish to go back. I even enjoyed our year long engagement and didn't feel a hurry for the wedding day (for the most part ;o)

Now with Annie I am enjoying her babyhood however she is growing faster than I would like and because its her life and not mine she is the one who decides things like when to move on. She went from all fours to standing unassisted in the blink of an eye. I am sorry but I think I would have rather her not be moving so fast... could someone please help me slow her down?

I do find myself stopping but instead of smelling the roses I usually smell her hair or snuggle her cheeks. I try to enjoy her at each stage she has been in. More often I find myself enjoying her as an only child. None of my future children (Lord willing) will have the opportunity to be an only child and I am seriously glad for that. It is so easy to spoil a child even where there is discipline there is room for spoilage :o) I have TIME to spoil her, I have TIME to sit and hold her on my lap or rock her to sleep before I do laundry or cook dinner. I have TIME to play with her in the 2 inch deep baby pool and take her shopping (I can't imagine trying to shop with any more than one) and one of the most enjoyable of all lately is the TIME to sit on the floor of the shower and sing with her as we soap up her little body over and over and then rinse her off with the wash cloth. She loves the shower and plays on the floor with her rubber duck and wash cloth while I shower and then I sit down and sing the "wash wash song" so quietly and she sings along with me. Then, each time, just like the day before, I dry myself off and then take her into her little hooded towel and wrap her up so tight like I used to when she was first born all the while saying "oooooooh" and she just laughs and laughs every time!! Then when we are all wrapped up after she gets done sucking the water off of my shoulder (your a mom you know the feeling) we look at eachother in the mirror and just smile at one another. I tried to capture the sight in this picture so that I can keep it forever in my memory however its not the greatest picture. She was more interested in the camera than she was the smiling part. I will deffinetly try again but for now you get the idea.