You think you have so much time, and the waiting seems endless. And then, as is so often the case, the big things you’ve planned for in life are suddenly mere days or weeks away, and you wonder how it all came up so fast. Time is a funny thing.

Tonight, Henry and I snuck out after dinner for a fairly impromptu “Henry and Mommy date” to Barnes and Noble. Earlier this week, he earned two new books because he met a reading goal. I could tell that a little one-on-one time would be significant to H after the day we had today, so we headed out together just before bedtime. He was so excited to go, and I was grateful for the space to take him.

Over the years, Jason and I have tried to make a priority of “dating” our kiddos…flip flopping between kids and each making sure we connect well with our little ones on a frequent basis. This is one of those things I’ve just taken for granted where time is concerned. Of course we’d fit in a few more dates with both Henry and Eloise before baby comes. And yet, the weeks keep slipping by, and it feels like if we don’t just jump at the chance when it arises, we’ll never fit in the important things we want to do before life changes for our family in a major way.

Being out with just Henry always makes me appreciate him even more. He is so fun to talk to, and equally as fun to watch, ride with, listen to, engage. We weren’t gone for very long, but we did go through the very important process of whittling many book choices down to the final two, we fit in some reading, and I had the chance to ask Henry a few questions about the baby and this upcoming change for him. I hope our littlest will enjoy reading what his or her big brother had to say…

1. How do you feel about becoming a big brother again?  “I feel the best!”
2. Why? “Because I’m going to be a big brother again. Because Eloise is here, and I’ll have another new baby to take care of.”
3. Is there anything that you’re worried about? “Nope. Except I don’t really want to change its diaper.”
4. Do you want the baby to be a boy or a girl? “Boy!!!”
5. If you have a brother, what will you name him? “Hmm. I really don’t know the answer to that.”
6. What is the hardest thing about waiting for baby? “Just waiting for it to come out and having to wait doing the normal stuff we used to do with you. It used to be the best when there was no one in your tummy. When just I was with you.”
7. What are you excited to do with the baby? “Snuggle and play with it and make it laugh.”
8. What makes you a great brother? “Cuz I teach my sister stuff. I protect her.”

I have no doubt that Henry will slot into his role of big brother again with grace, and with nothing but the utmost love for our littlest bean. Still, there are growing pains for all of us in this process, and there’s no doubt Henry is feeling them. I’m so thankful for the time we could take tonight to carve out new little memories and to be focused on each other. As he reminds me often, “Even when I grow up mom, I’ll always be your little guy.”

grateful to be Henry’s mama,

mm