The Realms of My Experience

Springtime in Michigan, baby!

     We have reached the point in baby-hood that I have least personal or professional experience.  I only worked in infant & toddler rooms for two weeks (while I was in Vermont in 1998-1999), and doing that, even for such a short period of time, was a conscious decision to make sure I had some level of experience with those age groups -- I've feel like I've been prepping to be a parent for over 15 years now.  (I did also take care of my younger sisters during these ages as well, but that was before our moms were together, so it was more akin to baby-sitting than ongoing daily interaction.)
     As my blog introduction says, I was a nanny for a newborn for the first three months or so, which both launched my interest in working with youth as a career path, and started me towards being able to proudly say I've worked professionally with every age of kid from birth to 21.  My greatest level of experience, of course, is with school-aged kids, especially K-12, as I subbed for several school years in addition to my seven years as an upper elementary teacher.

One moment, flat on her belly, then knees under her!

     Part of me thinks that I am least prepared for Esme's current age, but another part realizes that this means I can experience Esme's growth and development for the next few years with a wonder and joy that is free from expectations about what is normal -- though I suppose I don't really believe that any child is normal, per se.  All children develop at their own pace, and Esme is no exception, but not having expectations about when she's going to crawl, when she's going to walk or talk, when she's going to hit all those developmental milestones based on my experience of other children means I can take each new moment and stage as a gift rather than comparing her to any preconceived notions.

Finding the right motivation to sit up

     Speaking of crawling, she continues to work on getting her legs under her, which can be made easier by pillows, as you can see.  She consistently flips herself over to her belly, and lasts longer in 'tummy time' than she has in the past, but she still gets frustrated and doesn't seem to be able to consistently flip herself onto her back.  She is also getting better at sitting up.  From an inclined position, she can sit herself up, especially to grab at her favorite toy -- a butterfly with crinkly wings -- and if we sit her up on the floor, she can hold herself there for a few minutes.  Or she can lose her balance immediately, so leaving her while she's sitting is not an option, even to cross the room to grab my coffee cup.
     Perhaps the most exciting of all to me is the opportunity to see the world through her eyes.  She almost always has a twinkle in them as she explores her world, sees members of her family, or just this week, starts reaching for everything.  She seems to especially enjoy grabbing onto leaves, as both Tina and I have discovered this week while standing a little too close to plants while having conversations with other people.

     I'll leave you this week with a picture of those eyes taking in the world.  We were volunteering with Growing Hope again at Seed2Plate in the Ypsilanti Middle School, helping to teach healthy eating and lifestyle choices.  (And she liked the smoothie that they made that day!)