3.27.25 - The Last Born - What Nobody Tells You About Having your "Last Child."

I once read a quote somewhere deep into scrolling one night long before I ever remotely dreamt of kids of my own. "Their first are also  your lasts."  This stuck with me as I blazed through young adulthood  and well into my 20s living through  some of my own "lasts. " Then came a first for me when I gained two amazing step children, I welcomed and believed in the possibility that they could be my only children, even if I had missed some of the very "FIRSTS" of their lives, the ones I did witness where sweet and fleeting. Awe-inspiring but gone in seconds,  at these times this quote would pop into my head when I was blessed to witness our family reach a milestone together. Someone learned  how to play a video game flawlessly,  someone painted for the fist time, another  was stung by a bee. Since those days we've added so many first into our cherished memories as a family.  First time holding a baby sibling. First family vacation out of country, First time kids helped cook. First summerween. First home, just to name a few...

Now its possible  that its just because we don't know what the future holds but I didn't think there where many "LASTS." to take note of in these years, at least not until our last born was conceived. 

My husband and I got to tell the kids they had a sibling coming for the last time. I felt a baby kick for the last time. I got my maternity photos done for the (first &) last time. We took our family's life out of storage for the last time. Drove to a hospital to give birth for the last time. I had a successful C-section for the last time. We brought home a healthy beautiful baby for the last time. We are truly favored. 

What nobody tells you about having your Last born is the same thing nobody tells you about having kids in general... just worse. But, only because you feel like you should've known it all by the last one. Spoiler alert you wont, but the advice  is just as good.

SLOW THE (as my 3 year old would say) *FLORIDA* DOWN!  You will not get your time back. EVER! As a parent your focus is so wholeheartedly and justly on just trying to provide an amazing life for your children we sometimes forget to give them an amazing day. We blaze by just trying to keep everyone surviving, including ourselves we miss when those "FIRST." turn into our "LASTS." 

I'm sure for some knowing your last child is your last is ultimately hard sometimes and honestly refreshing the next. For me when it comes to our family personally, I love knowing our littlest one is our last. Our family feels complete. She's my instant reminder to look how I'm spending my irretrievable time, look at my goals and get them in order. My split second reminder when I look to my other children to see how grown up my last born makes them look. To celebrate the "FIRSTS"  and the "LASTS." then take a deep breath and slow the Florida down. 

-AMB- -AFALOZ-