Owie, Owie, Owie

She walked into the studio with caution, gazing at the bright lights with dismay. "Owie, owie, owie," she said, trying to identify potential danger. It took a bit of effort to get her to pose for pictures. Many times she proclaimed, "Done!" And we would respond with, "Not yet sweetie." At one point the photographer sighed, "I'll leave for a while. Maybe you could tickle her or something to get her laughing." My husband and I raised our eyebrows as we looked at each other. After all, isn't it the photographer's job to get her laughing???? I called her back in, "Just do what you can. We only need a few good pictures." The session ended soon after. And amazingly enough, we received three beautiful portraits!

It has been enlightening to watch our little girl transform from a baby to a toddler. She is rediscovering experiences and understanding them within different contexts. Some things that caused her very little anxiety in the past are now stressful events. The above studio example is a case in point. Other situations that where not cause for excitement are now full of joy. For instance, her love for interacting with people has dramatically increased. Scribbling in her coloring book, smashing down lumps of play dough, and building a block tower are really fun activities - especially when she is accomplishing them with you!

Speaking of toddlers, I must confess: I've never considered myself a person who really enjoys little kids. Thus, nursery duty is a stretching experience for me. But now that I'm a mom, I must admit I'm crazy about our little kid. And there are several behaviours that I love about her current stage of life, behaviours that I will miss when she becomes older. Things such as speaking in the third person; loving her stuffed toys like they are real people (especially Luther, the lion, and Owl); enjoying favorite foods with loud "mmmmm's"; gleefully yelling out, "six, seven, NINE!" (poor number eight); desiring a middle-of-the-night cuddle; and greeting us in the morning with "Mommy/Daddy come" as she extends her arm over the edge of the crib. And she is developing quite the sense of humor!

She is growing up too fast! I am filled with nostalgia as I prepare myself for the loss of this stage. But I embrace the comforting knowledge that there will be more stages to experience. Soon (hopefully very soon!) our daughter will meet her new sibling. It will be intriguing to watch her interact with our next bundle of joy. Hopefully the experience will be more positive than negative for both of them. And I am looking forward to new portraits of our two children, together. Maybe next time it will not be "Owie, owie, owie."

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