Sitting at the table recently Kelly an I were deep in some innocuous post-dinner chatter, talking about, I don't know, balsamic vinegar being on sale or the dwindling state of our paper towel supply or something like that...when we noticed the little girl had been focusing furiously at one of the ring-rattles we had on the table at the time. More than that, she appeared to be lifting an arm towards it. We sensed progress, and Kelly ran for the camera.
She leaned her shoulder and forearm towards the rattle, I nudged her a little closer, and we waited and watched with bated breath...
Her small hand bumped and knocked the rattle around a little bit, then landed and opened up around the ring; but the crucial thumb and forefinger remained closed...
More knocking around, dragging it closer to her and then knocking it back again almost out of reach; frustrated chirps and coos, little squeaks and twisted expressions of concentration...
And then it happened.
By luck or fiat, we'll never know for sure, but the remaining two fingers finally opened just enough and closed around the ring again, raising loud praises and proud encouragement from me and Kelly.
She had used her hands to grip - on purpose. A major milestone, marking her entrance amongst the kingdom of the opposable thumb people. Maybe sensing our excitement, or maybe purely reflexively, she maintained her grip and picked the rattle ring up off of the table, shaking it furiously and banging it off of the table and her chest. She squeaked and grunted with delight with the dawning discovery she had just made....
...until her other free hand found her mouth and filled it.
The rattle fell back to the table, and she explored with renewed fascination the familiar taste of her fingers...
No matter. The milestone had been reached...
...the genie's out of the bottle...
2 comments:
Great post! You should be a nationally syndicated daddy blogger.
Well, *that* would be a big reach. But thanks Mary..!
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