I go out walkin'I feel like this first year has been just trying to move from milestone to milestone. The first few weeks it's all about weight gain and eating/pooping. You move on to rolling over, teething and sleeping through the night. Next comes Sitting up, starting solids and smiling with intention. Soon you're watching your kid stand up, hold a bottle without your help and crawl around the floor chasing the dog.
After midnight
Out in the moonlight
Just like we used to do
I'm always walkin'
After midnight
searching for you
Each of these phases are anticipated for so long, and then they come and go so quickly. You forget how awesome it was that you could put your kid down on her butt without her head-heavy top half pulling her over on to the floor! That moment of celebration "Yay! She can sit up by herself" gets replaced immediately by something else.
Walking has been the most recent physical developmental milestone that we hit and let me tell you - it's craziness. There is a lot of joy in watching Kaitlin's face light up with a big old smile as she teeters like a drunken sailor two or three steps unassisted. You can't help but be happy because you can see how she is so happy. And the progression of distance or mastery of stairs just adds to the enthusiasm. What is different this time (at least to me it seems different) is how this walking thing has really changed the parenting game.
Gone are the days where I could leave Porkpie in the living room unattended for a few moments so I could go get her bottle and a bib in preparation for her morning feed. If I do that now - I'm likely to find her walking towards the bathroom so she can play with the roll of toilet paper or try and lift up the toilet cover. The importance of closing doors, lids, cupboards and the dishwasher has skyrocketed up to the forefront of my brain. Watching your 1-yr-old play with dog kibble WHILE the dog is eating is enough to motivate you to get off your duff and hustle over to give your dog some peace while eating.
But while you run off to see if small fingers are exploring electrical outlets, try to remember a few things:
- This too shall pass
- As much as you think your sanity will leave you, look into their eyes when they turn around and smile at you. Hold on to that feeling of joy and accomplishment they just shared with you.
- And if it's too quiet in the other room where you left the kid - there's probably a reason and you should run and check it out a.s.a.p.
2 comments:
oh honey, just wait until she finds her way on top of the refrigerator. no, i'm not joking. method employed by my boyfriend's son depicted here.
Hey! Thanks for the comment -I got lax and didn't see it until just today. That is a great picture except I totally expect my kid to do something similar very soon.... I guess we need to find someplace else to hide the cookies.
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