Life is So Good

For Cambrie, that is. Not that Patrick and I aren't doing just fine, but I am simply amazed at how good our baby girl has it right now. Since she started walking on her own shortly after we moved to Georgia, this has truly been a time of adventure and discovery for her. She owns this world. Everything is fantastic. Everything is hilarious, full of joy, full of wonder.

About a week ago I peeked into the living room where she was playing. (She had been quiet for a while, and that is always suspicious). I saw her waving her arms in the air a little frantically. She does weird dance moves like this from time to time, so I didn't think anything of it, but when she turned and saw me, she immediately started jabbering excitedly, then waved her arms in the same spot again. It took a while for me to realize that she was trying to catch the dust particles floating in a shaft of light. Does anyone else remember how magical those shafts of light were when you were little? (And please, don't tell me you think they're gross; you've been breathing that air your entire life, and you're just fine.) And there she was, watching the small eddies of dust swirl and churn as her hands passed through them.

She's speaking in sentences of garble, with tone and inflection and a few real words. She's learning that by speaking, we better understand what she wants. Unfortunately, she's also learning that sometimes, no matter how hard she tries to speak to us (or how hard we try to understand), we just don't know what she's saying. How hard, and how sad! Fortunately, she's very patient as we learn her language.

Even when she's not learning or experiencing something new, her world is full of joy.

(Water water everywhere...)

(Two pacifiers at once: Pure Bliss.)

So here's to my little bundle of rapidly expanding neurons and exuberantly blown kisses. I love you, baby girl. Thank you for reminding me of the good things all around me.