Milestones

Elisabeth has been quite busy lately changing before our very eyes. We turned around to find that she is suddenly a little girl, and not a baby, who pulls at our heartstrings every day. She has become the lover of babies rather than the baby herself. She amazes us everyday with her words, her memory, her ability and willingness to learn, and her love and energy. Both are boundless.

In her baby doll's bed...reminiscing of her days as a baby...

Here are a couple of her most recent milestones:

THE SPOON:

It is a simple item necessary in today's society, yet it posed this threat to me that I had not anticipated before our endeavor to master the spoon. It threatened my sense of order and cleanliness. It threatened my germ-free hands (I have a bit of an obsession with clean hands, therefore they look like they belong to someone decades older). Elisabeth should have been using a spoon on her own at 18 months, but it was not until a couple of weeks ago that I decided to jump in head first. She has been dabbling with the spoon here and there, but no serious commitment. She was doing quite well with her dry foods, but as I sat down to once again spoon feed my perfectly capable daughter her oatmeal several mornings ago, I realized that I was hindering her. So I asked her if she wanted to do it, of which she replied, "Oh-kaaaay", and with spoon in hand, off she went. And off she went quite well! My daughter can use a spoon! Now, I still haven't relinquished total control...I'm just not ready to tackle the runny stuff yet...yogurt, etc. I just don't want to clean up that mess. But she is doing a fantastic job of feeding herself oatmeal, applesauce, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, and the like.

Who knew such a simple thing could bring such great joy! Another freedom for Elisabeth, another freedom for mommy.

THE POTTY:


No, she is not potty trained...but she has told me several times that she has just gone or is about to go! So we went to the store a couple of days ago to buy a little seat that goes over our seat and a book to give her a visual of her goal. I'm not formally potty training her, but just getting her used to sitting on it. As she shows more readiness we will jump in! I'm excited about it right now...I'll let you know how I'm feeling when we really get started!

Another challenge for Elisabeth, another challenge for mommy.


She is quickly approaching her second birthday...less than two months away...I know it's cliche, but it feels like we were just coming home from the hospital with her. What a joyous and blurring ride it has been!