She's 11 years old now....

Time goes by so quickly as you get older.

I remember time dragging by so slowly when I was a kid. Those birthdays took FOREVER to arrive. And I was never "old enough". It always seemed like the next birthday would be the best one for whatever reason, because as most of you know, a child can never (in their mind) grow up too fast.

Fast forward to adulthood....

Now you catch yourself saying "Woah! Where has the past year gone??" or "It seems like only yesterday that I was _____!".

But the thing that will make time fly the fastest is having a child of your own.

Those baby/toddler/pre-school years pass in the blink of an eye. And a school year?...like a nano-second.

So here I go with my "It seems like only yesterday" phrase...

It seems like only yesterday that I took this picture of my mom holding Cecilia the day after she came home from the hospital. My mom was the one there with me during the delivery (hence the shirt), but we never got a pic of her and the baby at the hospital.

So as soon as we got a chance, she put on the shirt and we took this shot.

Then something agonizing and amazing at the same time happened...

...she started growing up...

...VERY QUICKLY.

Here she is at 3 months (still a little angel) ;-)

And then what happened?? We turn around and she's 13 months already!

Then 2 1/2?!

And oh my gosh...Pre-K...


And here is when time started to get away from me...
...Kindergarten.


Next thing I know she's in the 2nd grade and playing soccer

And this...this is one of those pictures that your kid brings home and all of a sudden you go "What happened to my baby??"

~3rd grade~

But today...today she turns 11 years old.

Today she is no longer a baby, she is almost a teenager.

Today she sang at the Veteran's day celebration as a 5th grader.

She is in her last year of elementary school.

She is at the brink of a whole new era in her life.

But to her....I'm sure this has been the longest 11 years EVER.

For me...not nearly long enough.

No matter what I do, I cannot slow down time.

Can't turn back the hands of that clock.

A growing child causes a parent so much excitement yet at the same time, so much heartache.

Because you've been there.

You know the wonderful and horrible things that will arrive so unexpectantly in her life.

All that can be done is to prepare that child for what is to come so that when the wonderful and horrible things strike, she will afterwards be stronger, wiser and all the more beautiful.

I sat with her at lunch today and for the first time in years actually sang "happy birthday" to her at 12:44 pm...the exact minute of her birth. Those are the moments that seem to help stop time for just a bit...those are the moments that make it all worthwhile.

Happy Birthday Cecilia!