Time Stands Still

As I wrapped up my last class before the March break, two of the moms in that class mentioned the dreaded "I'm going back to work" phrase. It'a a bit of a sad phrase to me, because it means I won't get to see their babies every week anymore.

In my job, I have the pleasure of meeting many moms either during their pregnancy or at the beginning of their mat leaves. They remind me of my own time on mat leave - a time I enjoyed immensely and cherish to this day. And now I am in the same position as the trainers I met on my leave, that led Strollercise and encouraged me to do things I would never have done before. I learned about push ups, tricep dips and how to do a proper lunge while walking with a stroller. I learned how to pull my belly button into my spine so that I could engage my core. I learned I could run a half marathon, even though I had never run more than 5 km before. And I learned that with a little hard work, I could get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes and feel good about my post-baby body. The best part though... was that I made many very special friends during that time in my life.

These days, I spend nearly a year with many moms and their babies. I watch their babies grow into little people who can move around, interact with me and most of all, smile or laugh at me. And I watch their mamas shrink back to their pre-preganancy bodies, gaining muscle, strength and stamina along the way.

But after about a year (give or take), most maternity leaves comes to an end. The babies that I've seen growing up before my eyes, go off to daycare and their moms come and workout in the evenings without their wee ones (and I love that I still get to see those moms!).

For me, though, Time Stands Still. Those wonderful babies in my classes are forever etched in my mind as babies. The first babies in my FITMOM and Baby classes (after I took over FITMOM in 2010) are coming close to their fourth birthdays! They will start school this September! And their moms are probably wondering where the time has gone. Time flies, but it also stands still. To me, they will always be the babies that I was lucky enough to hang out with nearly every week for the first year of their life.

Looking at those faces, who wouldn't consider me lucky? Thanks for all of the snuggles over the years:)