Can't think of a proper title

This is written with a very heavy heart. Last night we found out that the second teenage boy we knew and loved in our community committed suicide. In my facebook news feed this morning I'm reading about "sleep training" babies, babies sleeping or not sleeping with parents, etc. 

My advice for each and every new mom out there is this: Enjoy this time. I know you're exhausted, I know you would love a minute of alone time, I know you'd like to eat grown up food for lunch and not kids leftover PB&J. To have a minute in the bathroom alone would be like a piece of Heaven on Earth. I get it. I really do. I have 6 kids...they were all born within 2 1/2 years or less of one another--my closest gap is 16 months. I remember struggling with sleep times, colicky babies, potty training, weird rashes or viruses. I promise this time does fly by so fast...so very fast. My oldest just turned 21, my second is a freshman in college and my youngest is in 2nd grade. So I'm 7 years distanced from the little baby time but I will tell you this time will pass before you know it. The babies will figure out when and how to sleep, reading books is great and I'm sure there are great methods out there but the bottom line is this...love your babies, hold your babies. So what if they wake up at 1 am take that extra minute to take in that sweet baby smell, and feel the softness of their cheeks and necks, sing an extra song to them. You are not alone, I'm sure you've felt alone so many times as you change your 30th diaper that day, changed your clothes 5 times in a day yet hadn't had time to take a quick shower. So many of us have struggled with what you're going through. Enjoy this time. 

This is a sweet innocent time and I pray that none of you will have to tell your 15 yr old son that another friend has taken his life. This is something I wish no one had to go through. My heart breaks for, my kids, friends, their mothers. I went to a prayer meeting to meet up with my son last night. He'd been at a church youth activity and I'd not seen him since I’d heard. I  called  my husband to tell him about our son’s friend so that he could tell him when they were alone . After the prayer meeting I bee lined for my son who was sitting with the soccer team. I said nothing to him, just wrapped my arms around his still small shoulders and held him while we cried together. As I was holding him, in my mind he was 2 years old and had fallen down the last 4 stairs and I made him feel better. He was the 10 year old that was bravely sitting on the table in the ER, holding my hand, while his forehead was being glued from taking a soccer cleat to the head. He was my 15 yr old baby that was trying to comprehend how he'd lost 2 friends to suicide in less than 2 weeks. Last night's hug didn't take away the pain like my hugs did before. But they let him know he was surrounded by my love and was not alone. 

So...hug your babies, let them sleep on your shoulder a few minutes longer before you put them in their crib. Your dirty dishes, leftover lunch mess and even a shower will be waiting for you when you have a minute to get to them.