But what about "The Lasts"?

A girlfriend and I had lunch yesterday. Well, it was more like this: we went to a dining establishment (Cheesecake Factory ... yummo!), ordered wonderful lunches, then spent the time that they were warm feeding bottles and sliced up bananas to our wonderful, precious daughters.

And then when our food was still a little warm, we spent that time retrieving shoes and toys for one another as they flew under the table just out of arm's reach. Lettuce wraps don't box up that well ... but cheesecake does! And that's what matters!

So during this lunch/playdate, we had an interesting discussion - something I hadn't ever really thought about before, but have thought about since. As mothers, we have eagle eyes for all of these "firsts". First time rolling over. First solid night of sleep. First tooth. First laugh. The list goes on and on. But what about "The Lasts"?

It is actually a sad thought, so I apologize if I put a dark cloud over anyone today ... but what about the huge milestone of the LAST time something happens? You celebrate the first night your baby sleeps in her crib in her own room. But that also means that the night before was the last night that she slept alongside you in her bassinette or co-sleeper. You celebrate the first tooth that breaks through. But that means the last time that you saw that adorable gummy smile has come and gone.

Being the optimistic person that I am, I can 'turn my frown upside down' by reminding myself that with the 'last' of one thing comes a 'first' of something even better. Two weeks ago Riley started doing this adorable thing with her arms and her head when it got close to a nap or bedtime. She'd raise her arms above her head real tight, then squeeze her head through them. Picture a needle being threaded - that is what I thought of when I saw it. It was adorable! But now it's over. I haven't seen that for a week now, and I don't know if it will ever return. A 'last'. That makes me a little sad. But then again, she is now making a cute new noise when she laughs ... so a 'first'.

What do you think about "the lasts"?