look out.....here she comes

Our happy little girl is no longer happy to crawl around, she wants to walk. This likely comes as no surprise to anyone who has been around her for any period of time. Since the day she was born she has wanted to go. I am not saying this as a proud Mama, although I can be obnoxious with the best of them, plain and simple she has always been strong. The minute they laid her on my chest, she picked her cone head up and looked around (that was after being pushed on and contracted all day and being pushed in the birth canal for 3 loooong hours). I was so exhausted it was all I could do to hold my eyes open and there was my sweet little baby holding her neck up and looking around the room. She was never a floppy baby, she held her neck and head steady from the time she was a newborn. We joke that it is a result of being so tightly crammed in utero for 41 weeks, she was trying to push her way out. About the time she was 2 weeks old I would cuddle her on my lap facing me and stare at her beautiful chubby face and she would stand up. No lie, she would push with all of her strength and stand on my lap happy as a clam, I would try to sit her back down because 2 week old babies aren't supposed to stand up and she would fuss and push herself right back up. Several of my friends raved about the swaddle wraps, so I gave it a shot, anything that might result in more than 2 hours of sleep at a time was worth a try. Not for Malia, she wiggled and screamed until she got free of the wrap, I thought maybe it was a mistake. So I tried the swaddle wrap again, scream..grunt...scream...tada... look Ma I've got hands. Fast forward 5 months no longer content to lay and watch what was going on she wanted to be a part of the action and so she decided that it was time to crawl. Fast forward to today we were having a great time playing in the family room she was walking around hanging on to the couch, I took one of her hands and she let go of the couch with the other. I let go of her hand and she took 3 quick baby steps towards me and fell on me laughing. I couldn't believe it...they may have been small and quick but I know my girl it won't be long before she is off and running. Those of you who know me know that I am not overly emotional but I started crying. I have been blessed with a healthy, inquisitive, determined, sweet little girl and it is such a blessing to see her grow. Neither Stephen nor I are adventurous and that is part of the beauty of watching Malia blossom, she is alike us in many ways but she also surprises us with her own unique characteristics and quirks. I am so thankful that Jesus has blessed me with the opportunity to watch this little person grow, I am doing my best to soak it in...because I am quickly realizing there is no rewind button in this story.