The twenty-sixth week

Madeline was born six months ago today. It's both exciting and sobering to see how far she's come in that short period.

The exciting part has been watching her transform - literally before our eyes - from a completely helpless newborn who slept most of the day to an active, curious and intelligent ball of energy. She's moving on her own, holding conversations, sitting up, eating solid foods and sleeping through the night. She's curious and fascinated by just about everything. She has a beautiful smile and perfect, tiny hands.

The sobering aspect is the knowledge of just how fast the time is passing. There have been nights that seemed like time had slowed to a crawl. But, surely enough, they all ended. One of the first things I noticed when she was born was her toothless gums - with the arrival of her teeth last week I realized we will never again see her smile without any teeth.

It's exciting that she's growing up - we love playing with her and watching her learn. But there are times when I worry that it's going too quickly, no matter how much I try to slow things down and enjoy each moment. It's as if the moments you enjoy pass more quickly - the more fun you have, the faster the time slips away.