Snip, Snip; Sniff, Sniff

Our baby making days are officially over. Chris bravely faced his own 

personal V-Day yesterday. He is sore but relieved, oh so very relieved. 

Not that he doesn't love being a father of four, but being a father of  

five is decidedly not on his agenda. 

As a friend pointed out to me, perhaps the anticipation of this event has 

spurred my recent melancholia concerning the rapidly passing youth of my 

little chickies. Maybe so, and I do miss the younger baby days. But I think

I'm ready to move forward, to a life that will never again include maternity 

clothes and epidurals, and that will soon no longer involve nursing and 

diapers.I will enjoy my ever expanding freedom as my kids grow more and 

more independent. Even while periodically wishing I could go back in time 

and smell that new baby scent once again, and hold their tiny little fingers, 

and kiss their delicious itty bitty ears.

In the not-too-distant horizon, I can almost see a life where all of my kids are in school, every day. Where no one needs me to wipe their bottoms or pour them some juice (as soon as I sit down to eat my already cold meal). Where I can maybe think about going back to school, or having a career, or going grocery shopping alone anytime I want to. I have to admit, it sounds kind of nice. I am looking forward to this new life, but I will also savor the moments and milestones along the way to it. I will hold their 9,7,4, and 1 year old hands, and kiss their 10,8,5, and 2 year old ears. And maybe sometimes I will still think, "what if?", but I will know in my heart that I would have lost my mind with one more baby, so it's best that we stopped with four.