She's a-growin' up!

My little girl is growing up. It's becoming more and more clear every time I see her shoot across wood chips, scaling to the top of the playground, moving with agility, light as a feather, and ample fearlessness. 

  It becomes more and more true to me every time I watch her explore her surroundings, taking in the world around her like that liquid-absorbing sponge.

 I see the growth in her as she proudly recites the names of animals, colors, and types of transportation. Their names verbalized a little more clearly and a little more confidently each time. I see the way her eyes excite in the presence of new places and new people. She is quick to charm and even quicker to dive right in.  

She finds joy in the simplest of things, indulging in the entertainment they offer. The beauty of her age and innocence is radiant. Beautiful. Pure.

 And just like every other wildly curious little one, she sleeps deeply after a hard day of play. She rests through heat and bumpy conditions because when she's out, she's out!

 And though the days to her second birthday are fast approaching, I occasionally get little glimpses of the little babe we brought home from the hospital. Every once and a while, when I least expect it, there she is.

 I caught this lovely little sight from the bathroom mirror while washing my hands. The way the sun spilled in over her lean, little body, her little legs fluttering up ninety-degreed, took me back to the earlier months of her infancy. Days when she would rest next to me on the bed, quietly and contently. Her big browns scanning the ceiling from the light to our blank white walls. The days when I would get lost in even the subtlest changes in her facial expressions.

Her birthday is inching closer and closer, leaving me with the sweet little memories of the way we were then.  I'm missing the days of simple beauties, the way her breath felt warm and smelt so sweet, the way she would grasp my finger while I nursed her. Those days are long gone, but these days and the days ahead have been filled with simple beauties of their own. I'm overcome with joy when she makes new discoveries, shares, or laughs at things she thinks are funny. I am in love with her little personality, her wittiness, and her spontaneous bouts of affection. The little babe that I miss so much is in there somewhere and I'm thankful for the glimpses and the reminder of our journey so far.