Exactly two weeks ago, E began rolling onto her back during "tummy time." We were so excited! That said, we knew it would likely be quite some time before she successfully rolled from back to front. The books we consulted on developmental milestones suggested that babies roll front to back around 4 months and from back to front around 5 to 6 months, so we expected we'd still have some time.
Yesterday, E reminded us again that she is an individual, not a statistic. I was playing on the floor with her while she wiggled around on her back. I turned away and when I turned back just a few moments later, she was on her tummy, happy as a clam! I couldn't believe it: she is 17 weeks old today and will hit the 4 month mark next week. After capturing this new skill on video over and over yesterday and marveling at the ease with which she now rolls and wiggles around, R and I have realized we might as well throw the "typical" milestones out the window - this girl is going to do things when and how she wants!
On the subject of mobility, I'll go ahead and note it here now: E has started doing a funny little "army crawl" across the floor when there's something in front of her that she really wants. She can't crawl yet, of course, but when on her tummy, she grunts and pushes with her legs while clawing with her arms and manages to inch her way forward in tiny little scoots. It's completely insane. We are realizing that the pediatrician's prediction of early mobility for our strong girl will likely come true. We're trying to enjoy the days of E staying roughly where we leave her because they will undoubtedly be over in a blink.
All of these new skills and attempts at mobility are sort of blowing my mind, because I cannot get over how fast E is changing. She hasn't even been out in the world for four months yet and she's turning into this independent, funny, engaging little person instead of just the adorable, snuggly little baby we brought home. It's stunning.
Yesterday, I was snuggling E to sleep for her post-lunch nap with her soft little head nestled under my chin. I kissed her downy black hair and was rocked by this sudden vision of her as a precocious little toddler wobbling toward me with arms outstretched. Just as suddenly, I saw her climbing onto a school bus with little pig tail braids, then holding a science fair ribbon, then kicking a soccer ball. I watched her excitedly jangling new keys while sitting in the driver's seat of a car. I felt my heart constrict while waving at her as we drove away from her college dorm. I saw my dark-haired beauty floating down an aisle on her dad's arm on her wedding day, and then I saw her rocking in a nursery, with her own sweet baby's dark head nestled under her chin.
Crying then, I hugged her closer and pressed another kiss on her head. What they say about having kids is already proving to be so true: the days are long but the years are short. I recognize how quickly my time with E will go. The tentative little motions toward independence she's now making in the relative safety of our nest will one day lead to her truly spreading her glorious wings and flying off on her own great adventures.
So yes, change sometimes seems to happen in great, sudden flashes: your baby is lying on her back, you blink, and she's on her tummy. In reality, though, most change happens subtly over time and is only punctuated by big, noticeable leaps forward. I think if we're not careful, that type of change can lull us into complacency and one day we wake up wondering where the time has gone and how we ended up in this new place.
I guess I'm realizing that things will change in our life with E, sometimes gradually and sometimes overnight, but that doesn't have to be sad. I think my little vision yesterday was a gift. It was a reminder to be ever-present, to soak up the moments and memories that make each day with my girl wonderful and unique. In the end, I want to be able to say, "Yes, time has gone by and things have changed, but I was there for absolutely all of it."
No comments:
Post a Comment