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embracing these moments

My first Mother's Day was amazing! It started off by Brian surprising me with Lily's new outfit that he got her. Of course you can't see her cute pink shorts that she's wearing. (It melts my heart picturing him going to the store with her and picking her out a new outfit). Then he made me a wonderful breakfast with mimosas and gave me my presents, which included a Starbucks gift basket, roses, and a picture frame with a bunch of pictures of Lily and I. Not to mention the cards that he made from Lily and him. I have the greatest husband (and daughter)! Then we made a visit to my mom and headed to Brian's mom's house for a little cookout. It was such a beautiful day! 
I'm so thankful to have these moments as a new family. It's amazing how life changes after having a child. You feel like you're in a completely different world than you were in before. You learn to be grateful for every breath, smile, and laugh from your baby. You learn to never take any moment for granted for each is a blessing. Your life is consumed by dirty diapers, spit-up, washing bottles and baby laundry, but you wouldn't trade it for a thing. It's your life now and you can't imagine what life was like before your baby. It's cliche, I know, but if you're a parent, you get it. I didn't get it until now. A year ago I would have never imagined that this would be my life today. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be married and have a baby at the age of 25! It wasn't part of my plan. I imagined getting engaged, spending a year or so on wedding plans, getting married, taking a honeymoon, traveling, buying a house, then planning for a baby. 

Yet instead I fell in love, became pregnant, moved in with the in-laws, got engaged, planned a wedding in 3 months, got married*, rented an apartment, then had Lily. No honeymoon, no traveling, no house. Needless to say, life isn't what I planned it to be. Of course we still hope to buy a house in the future and take the well deserved honeymoon that we missed out on, but I honestly believe that God blessed us with this plan for a reason. I may never know the reason, but I can take each day as it comes and be thankful for every moment that I have to spend with our own little family. I don't know where this new road will take us but I would hate to look back at life with regret and wish that I didn't take things for granted. So for now, I embrace the moments of rocking Lily to sleep while she grips my thumb and twirls her hair because before I know it, she'll be a big girl and I'll wonder where the time passed us by. 

*It was only fitting that our first dance at our wedding was to "Danny's Song":

People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one, and we've just begun,
Think I'm gonna have a son daughter.
He She will be like she and me, as free as a dove, conceived in love,
Sun is gonna shine above.

And even though we ain't got money, I'm so in love with ya honey,
And everything will bring a chain of love.
And in the morning when I rise, you bring a tear of joy to my eyes,
And tell me everything is gonna be alright. 
....
Pisces, Virgo rising is a very good sign, strong and kind,
And the little boy girl is mine.
Now I see a family where there once was none, now we've just begun,
Yeah we're gonna fly to the sun.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ash, reading this almost made me cry!!! im so happy that everything is going so great with you and that you are cherishing every minute you get with your wonderful husband and beautiful daughter!
XOXO
Lisa <3

Ashley said...

Thanks Lisa that's so sweet :) We need to get together soon so you can see Lily!!

kennedy said...

hey ashley - just thought i would let you know that the beaba babycook is sold at bed bath and beyond (hello, 20% off coupon!)... just discovered this today!

Ashley said...

sweet, thanks kennedy! i must get at least one coupon in the mail from them a day...now i can finally use it!

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