I was going to sit with the baby this morning but the laundry was piled sky high.

I placed her in the play pen to watch me fold the towels.

I looked over and blinked as there was now a toddler sitting there.

I was going to read to the toddler but I noticed yesterday’s mail.

I sat her down to watch an educational show while I worked my way through the stack of bills.

I looked over and blinked as there was now a child sitting there.

I was going to look at her drawings, she must have made twenty of them! As I walked toward her my phone began to ring.

I put her at the table to draw just one more picture while I escaped to my room to take the call.

I returned moments later and had to blink my eyes, where I’d left that sweet girl drawing a teenager now sat in her place.

I was going to sit and chat with her about life and friends and such but before I could sit down a sink full of dishes caught my eye.

As I worked my way through the pots and pans and plates and cups, I looked over and noticed her seat was empty. I wandered through the house looking to see where she had gone.

I made my way to her room where I noticed the pictures and drawings were gone from her walls. The piles of books had vanished from her shelves. There was no laundry scattered about the floor. The only thing left was a neatly made bed and an empty closet.

Our babies grow when we aren’t looking, while we are tending to our business. Each glance brings me one day closer to a house full of empty rooms.

So today, sit with the baby. Read that toddler the story. Get excited over one more drawing and share a piece of cake with that sweet teen.

Originally published on Sprinkles in My Closet with Jennifer Kish