Milestones

I only remember about Elsa's baby book every few months or so. When she does something new, I don't immediately think, "I need to make a note of that date so I can put it in the baby book." So when my mom asked when Elsa first started sitting up, my response was, "Uhh, yeah, I'm not so sure. Probably between five and six months." (You can put my Mother of the Year award in the mail right now.) In my defense, by the time she's 18 years old, a month here or there won't make much difference. I'm also trying really hard to remember to blog about the things she does. I also think that baby books ask about developmental milestones that are important, but not always the most interesting things babies do. I've been a teacher long enough that I am reluctant to focus on being ahead of the curve (or behind the curve) on just one skill. That doesn't tell enough about a kid. For most of us, life isn't about how well we do one thing, but about how well we do a variety of things. Having said that, Elsa has hit a milestone that I would like to mark.

She is turning pages in the books we read together.

My heart melted this first time she did this. It was so exciting to see her little baby hand reach down to turn the page of that board book. And then to see her do it again. And again. And again. As a parent, I'm proud of the things my girl can do. As a teacher, I know that understanding how books work is key to all kinds of other learning. I'm going to try not to focus too much on one milestone here or there, but this one makes me want to dance in the hallway and brings tears to my eyes.