Duckdate

I come in to work this morning and check the Dark Wraith message board for new stuff, and I find something like twenty topics that have new material. Sheesh. Gonna take a while to catch up on that.

I thought it might be wise (before I get all outraged and paranoid again) to throw out a Duckdate. Kinda difficult to keep up with that, too, because every day there’s something new. It’s fantastic. We’ve entered into that time in her life where her intellectual and physical development is almost unbelievable in its momentum. This also translates into an ever-changing relationship between the three of us (Brian, Duckie, and me) as she continues to test limits and push our own concepts of parenthood and coupledom. It’s a hell of a ride, to say the least.

She’s growing out of the 18-month clothes faster than I can replace them - she is almost two, after all. Her drawer and closet are long overdue for culling – it’s just such an overwhelming task that I’m finding it hard even to start. I don’t even know what to do with the clothes she has already outgrown. So I sent her to school today in a shorts-and-shirt set with her little toddler belly somewhat exposed – yeah, I know, Bad Mommy, but these days I’m lucky she’ll keep clothes on at all.

New words and phrases: “All right!” “Hi, mommy!” “Up, mommy!” “I’m stuck!” “That’s a bee!” “Fluffy!” “Stop!” “I threw the ball!” We’re working on “please” and “thank you” – I’m sure they’re in the pipeline. Of course she’s saying all kinds of things that we can’t understand yet, but I’m more comfortable now with my inability to translate. She certainly does a fine job of making herself understood, one way or another.

She’s learned to climb the bookshelves and the entertainment center (EEK!) and that Mom and Dad aren’t pleased when she does. She manages a spoon quite well, although the experiment with yogurt yesterday was a little messy. She’s starting to enjoy new foods, but the broccoli craze has sadly ended, replaced by a craving for salad – go figure. She loves strawberries and applesauce – I am profoundly grateful that she doesn’t spit them out like she does blueberries. And there are a lot of things she’ll eat at school that she won’t eat at home, simply because she won’t be outdone by the other kids.

She’s nuts over the tricycles at school – it’s definitely time to bring some of that action home. Two weeks ago she couldn’t quite reach the pedals, then last week I saw her actually push them as if she could just about figure it out. Blows me away how she picks this stuff up.

RB gave us her son’s sit-and-spin last week (among other things). A week or two ago, she had just played with the lights and music and spun the bottom of it with her feet. I showed her how to sit down and spin herself around, and now she won’t stop for anything. During bathtime, Brian hides it in his room so she won’t get herself too worked up about it before bed.

When the living room floor isn’t strewn with toys (in the half-light of morning before coffee, the living room is like a minefield), she works on somersaults. She can kick and throw a ball like nobody’s business, and her aim is surprisingly good. She runs in an adorable little arm-flopping trot that makes me want to pick her up and blow hundreds of sloppy raspberries on her belly. (She can also blow raspberries on other people, and thinks it’s hilarious to fart and then make the same noise with her lips. PPPPPTH!)

I checked her head yesterday, wondering if the fontanel had closed yet, and felt a sharp twinge of sadness when my fingers couldn’t find the soft spot anymore. I know she’ll always be my baby, but I’m a little overwhelmed sometimes at how fast she’s growing into full-fledged childhood. The rewards of her growth are huge, though – she’s eager to give hugs and kisses (to other kids as well as to us), and her sense of humor is a joy to experience.

Brian and I have started to think a little about another child – once my meds stabilize and I’m taking better care of myself, that is. We don’t have any firm timetables in mind, and we know it’s in the hands of Mother Nature – just like Duckie’s conception was in the first place. Growing up an only child, I always longed for a brother or sister, so I would love to be able to give that gift to Duckie, and I know she would be a great big sister. But I have already been blessed beyond measure to be her mother. So if that’s all that’s meant to be, I can hardly ask for more.