Into the future

Has anyone seen my little baby?  She appears to be missing these days.

In her place seems to be a spunky little girl who is her own little person now. She has her own opinions. She has her own friends. She has her own words. She has her own responsibilities around the house, albeit small, including shutting any door that needs to be closed and putting her dirty clothes where they belong.

I both look forward to Fridays — because it means it’s another weekend we get to spend with her! –  and also mourn their passing because it means yet another week has elapsed and she’s that much older. It’s wonderful to really immerse ourselves in our time together and experience new things as a family, but by the time you stop and look up for a moment, you wonder how in the world time could have passed so quickly. Wasn’t it just July? Wasn’t it just May? Heck, wasn’t it just Christmas?

How in the world is it possible that I have an almost 19-month-old daughter?  You’d think that in the span of 19 months, it would have truly hit me, right? But at times it still feels so surreal!

With each week that passes, it’s a reminder of our ultimate job as parents: to love her and to prepare her well for that great big world out there. With each week that passes, she asserts her independence further and is a tiny bit more ready to deal with the world without me holding her hand. There’s an element of bittersweetness, of course, but the predominant feeling I have is pride. I’m proud of The Husband and myself for figuring out this whole parenting thing (so far). I’m proud of all that Baby B has learned and accomplished in her short time with us.

I think the photo below, taken last weekend at the Cincinnati Children’s Museum, really captures the above ideas. The often-intimidating big world is shown as the big skyscrapers in the background. Baby B is climbing up the steps, representing all of her new learning and her milestone achievements, and she is looking ahead very determined. Then there’s me standing off to the side, eagerly watching and filled with pride for my daughter, but ultimately letting her figure it out on her own.

Did I want to run over and hold her hand just in case she tripped and skinned her knee going up the concrete steps? You bet.

But did I know that I should hang back and let her figure it out on her own, with me nearby for support but without offering my direct assistance?

You bet.

 (Thanks to The Husband for capturing a great moment.)