• Home
  • About
  • Wild Olive Tees
  • No Hands But Ours
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • RSS

Ni Hao Y'all

when east meets south

  • Ni Hao Y'all
  • Faith
    • my faith
  • adoption
    • special needs adoption
      • clubfoot
      • Down syndrome
      • dwarfism
    • shared list
    • advocating
  • family
    • Magnolia
    • Clementine
    • Tallula
    • Poppy
    • Esther
    • Vivienne
    • Shepherd
    • Jude
    • Isabelle
    • Sophie
    • Dalton
    • Asher
    • Zach
    • Victoria
  • Life
    • memory lane
    • what works for us
    • things I love
    • Q and A
    • marriage
    • cooking
    • celebrations
    • blogging
      • love others
      • kudos
  • photography
    • photography 101
    • Sunday Snapshot

letting go

My oldest child is 25. My youngest child is 1. And I am mama to 10 more that fall in between.

My 1 year old cannot feed herself. Hold her cup. Walk from one end of the room to the other.

I get to do all that for her.

Zach20-10

My 25 year old, on the other hand, no longer needs much help. For anything.

In fact she can do basically anything I can do, and oftentimes does it better.

Zach20

And somehow, mothering the child that is virtually independent can be as hard as mothering the child that is completely dependent.

Zach20-2

I am learning that when it comes to parenting, letting go can be the hardest part.

Zach20-5

Being mama to this boy – my biggest boy who just turned 20 years old – is in many ways harder now than when he was 2…

and fearlessly scaling the bookshelves…

asking his 4679th why? question of the day…

and bolting out of the front door and down the gravel driveway.

Zach20-6

Because when he was scaling the bookshelf, I was there to catch him.

When he was asking questions, I was the one to answer.

When he was running barefoot up the driveway headed for the road, I was just one step behind him.

Zach20-8.2

But now he’s big. Capable. And a whole lot further than one step away 95% of the time.

He doesn’t need his questions answered or his hand held like he did 18 years ago.

Zach20-13

Mamas, squeeze your babies.

Because when they’re this big, they’re not quite as crazy about it.

Zach20-4

That doesn’t mean I don’t still try.

Happy 20th to you, my biggest boy. Whether you’re 15 pounds or 150, I’m so thankful I get to be the one you call mama.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • More
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
«
»

01.10.15 · Noah, Zach 8

Comments

  1. mgatwood says

    January 10, 2015 at 10:09 AM

    I totally feel you in this post. Adult children are fabulous but parenting is very different.

    Reply
  2. Shan Perry Barlow says

    January 10, 2015 at 1:20 PM

    Amen! I totally agree!

    Reply
  3. Michelle says

    January 10, 2015 at 2:57 PM

    Beautiful post!!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      January 14, 2015 at 6:17 PM

      I agree. Beautiful post!

      Reply
  4. Lavonne Dideon says

    January 10, 2015 at 3:06 PM

    Doing this later in life and starting at 41 … this gives me lots to think about. My oldest is 12 and it is already changing lots and I have to figure out creatively to get my momma moments with him. Eight years from now will be completely different.

    Reply
  5. Leslie says

    January 12, 2015 at 5:01 AM

    So good for this young, tired mama to read. My littles are 5 months and 2 years and I often feel anxious for days where they aren’t quite so needy or fussy or not sleeping through the night … but I keep hearing how fast the years fly. Thanks for the reminder to enjoy the little years!

    Reply
  6. craftyland says

    January 12, 2015 at 11:26 AM

    I only have 2, one that just turned 16 and one that is about to turn 18 and goes away to college this year. It’s killing me. I wish I could go back and do things better. I guess we probably all wish that. Happy birthday to your oldest boy. 🙂

    Reply
  7. Melody Hester says

    January 19, 2015 at 8:42 PM

    So excited to have stumbled across your blog tonight. I love your family!!! We love adoption as well and are Christ followers as well.Even have Sophie in our family as well. Your photography is stunning! My Sophie wants to know how to levitate with balloons like that by the way. Ha!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Laura Cancel reply

I'm Stefanie. Wife to one, mom to 13. Occasional blogger and t-shirt maker. Wannabe photographer and exerciser. Constant grace-needer and orphan advocator. more
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS

Subscribe

instagram

see more...follow us on IG

our china journeys

magnolia - 2016
clementine - 2014
tallula - 2012
penelope - 2011
vivienne - 2010
shepherd - 2008
jude - 2007
sophie - 2006
isabelle - 2005

ways to make a difference

Love Project

proceed with caution

a dirty secret in adoption
we don't celebrate gotcha day
there's no such thing as an easy adoption
if I can, you can.
co-sleeping, why we do it.
gawsh. the series.
crazy
affording adoption
God and me.
Vivi's diagnosis
the ugly, beautiful truth
special needs: my .02
my testimony
dear anonymous
my chinese son

Creative Commons License

Copyright © 2023 · Darling theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Darling Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.