Occasional Dose of Dahl

Ms. S, resident diva, took her first steps today. She would still rather scoot than crawl or walk, so I think I've got a little while longer before she starts running from point A to point B. At least, I hope so. Her personality is so different from T's that it's amazing for me to just watch her do - well, anything.

The other day, she was WP - without pacifier. It's getting to the point where I need to start thinking about how to convince her to give it up, which is hysterical for two reasons. 1) No matter how hard we tried, she refused to take a pacifier until she started teething and I stopped breastfeeding and 2) I'm not so sure S is going to be convince-able about anything.

Knowing this is looming, I'm trying really hard to only give her a pacifier when it's time to sleep. I do keep one in the diaper bag - just in case. She has figured this out, and the other day, she wanted her pacifier, and it was in the crib. So Ms. Thang scooted over to the diaper bag, got it unzipped, found the pacifier and turned to smile at me with this look on her face like, "really, Mom. You are going to have to try harder than THAT!" Lordy, lordy, I think I'm in for it.

So, when she took her first steps I was incredibly proud. Physically, she's been ready for a while. She can get there faster when she scoots or crawls, and she knows it. I'm trying to pay better attention with S, because I think R and I made some pretty massive mistakes with T at this age. But hey - that's why we started the college/therapy fund. Either way he uses it, it will make him a better person in some respect. Donations, by the way, are happily accepted. heh.

But to my surprise, S took her first steps in stride. (Come ON - it was too easy not to go for the obvious pun!) Realizing it wasn't getting her to where she wanted to be fast enough, she sat down and continued on her merry way. I had a moment where I fast-forwarded to the moment she leaves home for good and thought that I'd probably feel then the way I do right now...this girl's going to be just fine with whatever life throws her. It was an incredibly powerful and emotional moment and I have the feeling that if I try to tell her about this when she's leaving, I'm going to get the eye roll and a snort as she says, "Oh, Mom. Like...whatever! I was ONE!" Kids. Gotta love 'em!