Free Will

It's a human condition. Don't like your life? Change it. Don't want to live where you live? Move. It's what separates us from other mammals. We are free to live our lives the way we want to live them....at least when we're not constrained by childhood. Baby Lane is in the midst of a transition right now. She can get to things, she can laugh and smile at me when I tell her 'no' or 'not in mouth' or 'wait'. She can choose to listen to me, to come when called, to pick up the item and put it in her mouth, to willingly go down for a nap or fight me. I am witnessing the development of the human mind, and it is fascinating. I do not want to stifle her. She should experience 'sand in mouth', sticky hands, crawling on grass, playing in water...but I also don't want falling on head, chewing on wires and playing in fireplace soot. It's a fine line between protective and wearing a helmet, allowing experiences and neglect. I love this phase. She's still a baby, she rocks, she nurses - but she's becoming this other thing, this toddler who kicks her feet when she doesn't get what she wants and dances and holds out her hands to be held by strangers. I can see it....free will...it's coming.

 

I have a few favorite things to catch up on......

 

#10. Help. You hold out your hand when you want to sit down because you haven't figured out how to squat yet. You pull up, go from side to side, and then need help getting down because you don't like falling back down. This is slowly going away, I watched you do it all on your own once this morning. Let me help you a few more times.

 

 

#9. Clap hands. I am so excited that clap hands has surfaced. You clap hands when Daddy gets home, when the doggies come out in the morning, when the chickens run over. I love that you have this way of showing you're excited.

 

#8. Sleep Crawling. You've started waking up, crawling, and laying back down. It's cute. Sometimes you wake up angry that your're crawling and then you sit up and cry. I laugh. I know this phase will pass and I am happy to help you go back to sleep while you still want me.

 

#7. Baba, Dada, Uckin, Nay Nay, Ga. You say them all, at random times through the day. I am pretty sure I am either Baba or Ga. Whatever. Dada is alway when Daddy gets home. Ucking seems to me Chicken or bird, Nay Nay can be Sydney or Nurse. They qualify as first words, even if they're all a little jumbled right now. I don't mind that you can't talk....you communicate just fine.

 

#6. Fixation. I kept trying to get you fixated on a stuffed animal, your fluffy rabbit or yop yop the monkey - but what you really wanted was Daddy's head lamp. You crawl with it in your mouth, you bring it to bed. It's not pretty or fluffy, but you love it....it and other wires, cords and black things. You even hold the remote control like a phone and say 'hay'. 

Outside time with mango....