Watching Delilah

One of the greatest joys in life is watching your kid.  I know cause I just spent twenty minutes watching Delilah as she looks around the room.  A serious look on her face as though she were conducting some sort of inventory.  She looks around, eyes moving around the room until something catches her attention.  Then she focuses both her mind and her attention on whatever it was.  She does this for just a moment.  Just long enough that I can tell as I look in from the outside that she is making mental notes.  Occasionally she will try to push herself towards whatever has her attention.  She is still not strong enough in her legs to propel herself and the little standing contraption that she is in towards whatever it is that she is curious about, but it is fun to watch her try.  When she realizes that she isn't quite ready for locomotion she doesn't get upset or frustrated, she just takes a deep breath and lets it out as if to say, "I guess I will have to try again tomorrow."And her attention is off to the next thing.

She is getting to be so good with her hands.  She reaches for things, mostly toys and brightly colored objects with her whole body now.  And when she can't quite reach or see she will contort herself to get a better look or grasp.  She hasn't quite mastered rolling over yet.  She does it occassionally, and the first time she did it I thought that we were well on our way to the walking stage.  But she still only does it occasionally. Which is good in a way.  I love this stage, and I certainly don't wish her to stay a baby, but I realize that when she can start walking I will forever be worried about what she can get into.  From the kitchen cabinets to the wrong group of friends in highschool.  So for now I just watch her and learn from her, love her and try to encourage her growth.