Little Miss Personality

For those who have been around kids all their lives, child development probably comes with a measure of wonder accompanied by a level of expectation. I, however, have spent the majority of my life around people at least my age if not older, and had zero expectations entering in to parenthood. In fact, I had no idea what to expect. To some degree, this has made things a bit difficult, as every normal little hiccup, heartache, and hardship has sent me fleeing to the phone, bookshelf, internet, or emergency room. However, it has also made every little milestone seem amazingly significant and extraordinary.

Audrey seems to develop on two planes: she has her normal pace of growth and development, and at the same time she seems to turn pages in the span of a week with her little personality. It's subtle and at the same time very abrupt. One day, you just realize, 'Wow, she has become so interactive, and she understands what I'm saying!' Or, 'She just made that game up!' Or, 'She is so funny, and she knows it!' Even, 'She looks so much like a kid today!'

This weekend, one of our bistro-style kitchen chairs finally gave in and came apart. Kyle took the chair part off the leg part and was assessing the extent of the structural failure when Audrey noticed the change in her little world. All of the sudden, one of the tall tall chairs Mommy and Daddy sit in was accessible! So what does she do?

All on her own, she grabs a book, walks over to the sized-down chair, and makes herself comfortable.

THEN she starts 'reading' it out loud...

...and even pauses to tell me about it!

Whatever the story was that she was telling, it was quite amusing.

She probably sat on this half-chair for ten minutes or more, just enjoying the fact that she could sit on this half-chair.

Kyle and I watched her with amazement- where did our baby go? Where did this little kitchen gnome come from, with her book and her knowledge about how to sit in this grown-up chair properly, reading a book right-side-up? What will she be doing next weekend? I know we will never stop being amazed by her, and I hope she never stops being amazed by her world.