at sixteen months

 I never got around to bringing the table and chairs back into the toy room after we painted until today. She sat in those chairs the better part of her wakeful day today. Looking at her concentrating so hard on a puzzle, she looked like such a kid.  Soon all the baby will be gone. She's such a quiet soul. Always taking it all in with such wonder. We see bits of her wild, chipper side more and more and I am loving the combination of the two sides of her. I wish I could bundle her up right now.  It's fun to see her evolving and learning more and more. 

These days, she is still most happy in my arms, and I keep her request as much as I can. Towards dinner time it starts to make me crazy and having free arms has become a luxury to me now. This too shall pass and holding my baby is far from the worst thing at all. I wish it was all I had to do all day but still I'm grateful to be loved and needed. I know it doesn't last long. These days, she is into emptying all the cupboards and drawers. In every room you can see traces of her, clothes from a dresser drawer in one, bookshelves cleared of the toys. I could watch her all day, just because she is so certain of her purpose right now. She really is a gem and I adore being her momma.