Each and every morning I wake up to see Savannah standing in her crib, peeking at me. Her nursery is just down the hall from our bedroom and the way the crib is positioned she can stand at one end and see down the hall into our bedroom - and see me on my side of the bed. When I was pregnant and discovered that I could see the crib from my spot in bed I thought "This is amazing! This is perfect!". Not so much. If she wakes up before I'm quite ready to roll out of bed, and she sees me, then it doesn't matter if I'm ready to get up or not - I have to get up or listen to wailing until I do. So Carl has been losing his sleep space inch by inch....if I am on his side Savannah can't see me, and then she's quiet until she does see someone. It's not that I don't want to go greet her smiling face, I just need some sleep once in a while!
Last night Savannah took what Carl calls her first steps. I don't know if I'd say that or not, but to humor him, I'll say it was just that. She has been really interested in standing alone this week. She will stand and just look around - like a prairie dog. Then she usually sits and crawls to things. Last night she was standing, but this time she moved her feet. I think she got about 4 little steps in before she fell over...but they were definitely steps she concentrated on. She took one, stood still and balanced, and then took another. It wasn't her usual "steps taken while diving for me" thing...this was concentrated movement...so I guess for the most part I would say they can be considered first steps. She isn't walking, but I don't think it's far behind.
She is growing and learning and changing so quickly. Not only has she decided to venture into a new mode of transportation, but she is developing in many other ways too. She has recently become very interested in books. She has always enjoyed them, but usually just liked to point and turn pages. In the past week she has decided to sit still while I read Dr. Seuss books before bed. She will sit while I read a book, word for word, and then when that one is done she points to the stack and I read another, and another. Sometimes she points at things on the pages, or she looks up at me while I read, but she has a newfound appreciation for being read to. It's a much different attitude than I'm used to. I love it! We get lots of cuddle time in while we read, and I know I'm helping her learn each and every night.
Not only have I seen her develop mentally and physically, but emotionally too! Savannah is empathetic. I have noticed some clues to this in the past two weeks, but yesterday it was confirmed. I was laying in the floor and Savannah had been crawling over and around me (one of her favorite games!). She pulled up and stood next to the couch, which happened to be near my head. She fell a bit and her hand hit my forehead. I said "Ouch" and rubbed my head. She looked at me, and then leaned in to give me a hug. So then I tested my theory. When Carl was home I "accidentally" bumped him and he said "Ouch". Savannah then gave him a hug! I asked both my mother and Carl if they had taught her that, and neither has. So this is a skill she developed and nurtured completely on her own! I've been trying to read about children and empathy, and for the most part it seems as if toddlers know when someone is hurt or sad and they generally want to fix it. Most children fix the problem the way they have seen their parents fix the problem. So Savannah has figured out that when she gets hurt and cries that we hug her and kiss her...so now when she sees us get hurt, she gives us the same we would give her! I am so proud to say that she wants others around her to be happy and not sad, and that she knows what to do to help. It also boosts my confidence in myself as a parent. If she thinks that hugs and love can solve a "boo-boo", then she knows we can (and do) solve her "boo-boo"s with loves and cuddles. While babies can learn a lot from books and educational toys, they learn just as much, if not more, from the interaction they receive from their parents/caregivers/friends/etc. Just the other day I was getting frustrated with Carl because he was taking an insane amount of time to get ready (he is always the one who takes the longest to get ready in the morning - and he doesn't wear make-up or eye contacts!), and I yelled up the stairs to hurry up. Savannah was quick to recognize a different tone. I saw it in her eyes - she was confused and unsure. So from now on I know that each and every action will truly be scrutinized by her. While I knew this to be true before, I have now seen a direct action in relation to what we have done...so our house is a house of love, and I intend to show Savannah that each and every day. Sure there will be disagreements, but just because we disagree doesn't mean we have to belittle or yell. She should be able to learn how to handle conflict without those tactics. We are her role models - so far she has only learned positive things, and I'll strive to keep it that way!
On top of all her amazing accomplishments this week (no wonder she is so tired every night - all this learning!), she also realizes that the baby in the mirror, is indeed, herself. I had dressed her in a little dress for church, and put her headband on. We went to admire ourselves in the bathroom mirror (another one of Savannah's favorite things) and she smiled, then touched her headband. Later she took the headband off and had been carrying it while I did some chores downstairs. Well, when it was almost time to go and Carl still wasn't ready (read previous paragraph) I was trying to keep her entertained so we looked in the mirror hanging above the couch. She touched her hair, but then turned to look into the kitchen - where she had left her headband. She pointed, so I went and got it, and put it on. We looked back in the mirror - she touched her headband and smiled. She most definitely knew that the headband belonged on her head so she could see it in the mirror!
It seems like she learns so much each and every minute of the day - I think that's one of the most rewarding things about being a mom. It is truly an amazing gift God gives parents - watching your child grow and learn.
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