With Joseph’s birth, it became so crystal clear to me just how big Julia has gotten. In the last year, she learned to swim, write her name, spell simple words, started school and countless other “firsts”. Daily I am reminded of how big she has gotten, how much of a help she is to our family.

And it makes me sad.

Makes me sad to see my baby girl turning into a big girl. Sad to have the last four years fly by and the fear of the next 14 years going even faster.

When I took this picture last week, one thing caught my eye above all else. Julia has chubby fingers. While so much of her body has become slender, her fingers still hold the resemblance of babyhood, the chunky goodness of days gone by.

Those chubby fingers gave my mama heart a smile. It helped me realize that my sweet Julia will grow older, but she will still be my baby. While she has chubby fingers, and even when her finger holds a wedding band, she will be my baby. Always.