babyboba

It’s official, she’s no longer a baby, she’s a toddler. Even though it’s a little unsteady and she like to walk with her right hand up in the air, she is now toddling all over the place. When she sees her shoes, or even socks, she’ll bring them to her feet and with a little yelp, ask us to put them on. She can now go from one side of the room to another and then turn before making her way back. She got her first battle wound, a skinned knee, though she didn’t seem to care and picked herself up and kept on going. It’s a bittersweet moment for me, as her mom, as she lets go of my hand and goes forward with her first steps of independence only looking back when things are a little scary and uncertain. But then turning around and plowing forward without fear. She’s growing up a lot.

I see shades of all members of our family in her. She started out with pale white skin like her mom, but after a weekend at the beach, she just soaked in the rays, and now she is dark and tan. She soaks up the sun like her aunties and her daddy. She doesn’t like drinking milk, like her mom, but also like her mom, she loves eating fruit. She’s quite stubborn like her dad and will be insistent when she wants something. The snoring is definitely from daddy and already I empathize with her future husband who will also have to endure snorts through the nose. Her face is full of expressions from the furrowed eye brow, to the scrunchy nose, to the eyes that light up during hide and seek, and the big toothsome grin when she sees you when you walk through the door.

We have started taking her to the preschool during church, and while I have gone with her twice, she has adapted extremely well. It’s an indication to me that she is turning out to be a more social kid. While when she first gets there, she’s a silent observer and will often go to the toys on the sidelines to play with those first, she doesn’t need me to be with her at all times and as I’ve gone off  to play with the other kids, she’s content finding her own way and doesn’t need me as much as I may need her. She is one of the youngest, but her tall stature makes it seem like she’s one of them. This past week 2 of the kids decided they really liked her so they kept trying to hug her. She ended up on the ground trying to crawl away and as she got away from one, the other would hug her. I sat back to watch how she would react and was proud of her as she didn’t cry, but determinedly kept going on elbows trying to get away.

We’ve taken her to the beach now twice and she’s discovered that sand is not good to eat, but digging sand castles are fun. And also when you go to the beach, you get to eat yummy food for long periods of time. She’s getting better in the pool, but I still have dreams of teaching her how to float on her own. And while she hasn’t said any words yet, we know she is close and we are hopeful our efforts in chinese will not be wasted.

We’re going to slowly start potty training and this morning, I sat her on her little frog toilet and loe and behold, she did it! She pee-ed in the potty! Woo woo! Of couse, right after she did it, her hand went down to touch it. Horrors of horrors. Thank goodness it’s sterile. So, we’re on the right track. Now we have to make it a habit.