I don't want to miss a thing.

Claire,

I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you for saving such a special moment for just you and me, kid. Watching you crawl for the first time yesterday was a momentous event in my life, one I will be sure to never forget. I held my breath, I clenched my fists, I watched you go and for a second the world just stopped.  

You did it.

And my heart broke a little bit. Where did my baby go? I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear. It is overwhelmingly bittersweet knowing that I can't just keep you close anymore. Your independent self wants to learn, explore, push boundaries, stretch your wings, learn to fly. The world is at your fingertips. And it's a big, beautiful world, baby girl. So even though I am sad to see you growing up so quickly, I am so proud of the accomplishments that you have already made and will continue to make in the days, months and years to come. With every milestone you achieve, you get that much closer to becoming a little girl and leaving behind all those baby things that I adore.  

Do me a favor? When you see me packing away boxes of your baby clothes that no longer fit or baby toys you no longer play with, understand that my tears are not tears of sorrow but tears of joy. It may be bittersweet to watch you grow, but the bitter will quickly fall away and all that will be left is the savoring of your sweet accomplishments as you develop, change and grow. Before I know it, you will be toddling behind a shopping cart, skipping into your first day of preschool, hopping onto the junior high school bus, parading across the stage at graduation, and walking down the aisle hand in hand with your papa. Trust me, those days will be harder on me than they are on you.

Life is gonna pass us by so quickly, Claire Bear, so we must never forget these big moments. Let's live in the moment, you and me. Because I don't want to miss a thing.

Love,
your mama