Change

I've been going through the Dear Alex photo archive of late, and It's occurred to me that while I often blather on breathlessly about her growth and her small "person-ness", I don't really know when the change happened - when she went from inert lump-of-baby to active observer to active participant. It is astonishing (I use that word a lot) to me how much has really happened with her ever-evolving personality, but so achingly slowly (time is totally relative, here) that it only works if you take a longer view. I posted the above picture because it marked somewhat of a transition for me from lump-baby to little people. It seemed to me that she realized right around the time the picture was taken that there was a whole world to be a part of and see. There was nothing she could do about it, but she started really observing - there was a new light in her eyes.
That change was about 8 months or so ago and now the change accelerates daily, though you'd hardly notice - because it always feels like the same day - unless you're paying attention.

It's a little thing, but I remember that it took a long time for for her to say "daddy" but now I don't remember when it first happened - though it couldn't have been more than a month or so ago. Seems like forever, but it also seems like she's always been saying "daddy". Now, she adds new words (or approximations therof) daily, moves around incredibly well and climbs on and off the furniture as though she's been doing it always. When the hell did that happen? I'm guessing that it was a little bit every day, nothing big, until you suddenly realize that a: she's tall enough to reach the light switch, and b: she knows what it does and how to use it.

I guess this is just a little reminder to myself: Pay attention.