Meg: An Update

When I look at Meg, I can’t even stand how big she is getting.

She’s grown so much in the last 20 months . . . but I sincerely think that the changes since her birthday in June are the ones I’m finding to be remarkably profound. During that first year, her changes were so physical . . . from a ‘bologna loaf’ (to coin a phrase from Jim’s hilarious cousin) to a sitting, standing, then walking toddler. Since her birthday, her physical changes have continued . . . she’s grown a considerable amount of hair, she’s gotten taller and lost her baby bell, she can jump and spin, and her coordination all around is fantastic.

But it’s the mental and emotional developments that seem to be hitting me, these days. She’s not a baby anymore – and I don’t just mean physically – she’s grown into this little person that has opinions and attitude and intelligence.

It’s just amazing to witness.

To give an idea of what I mean . . .

She absolutely knows what she wants at all times, and she has an unmistakable way of letting you know. Her language skills are fantastic and growing every day . . . but she can also let you know what she needs with her baby signs (she still pulls those out of her hat when needed) or just by physical gestures. I never have a doubt about her desires . . . though I can’t always MEET them, and sometimes a little pouting ensues when I figure out that she wants something she cannot have. No tantrums yet – but her little feelings get hurt when she receives a “No” from mommy.

Her language – as I mentioned – is growing by leaps and bounds. It is unbelievable to me -- new words are added to her repertoire each and every day. It seems as though her little brain has all of the sudden clicked into language mode, and she’s just absorbing and applying everything around her. Ask her to say it, and she’ll try. My favorites include blueberry, more (which she says along with the sign, a linguistic developmental milestone between signing and speaking), please, milk, book, hot and up (which sound the same, you have to hear them in context to know the difference), thank you (really just a combination of any two syllables she decides to throw together), and of course, Mama. 'Mama' started about 3 weeks ago now, and I had NO CLUE that it would sound as sweet and wonderful as it does. My heart floods when she says it. I can’t get enough of it. It was worth every minute of that 20 month wait.

She has ‘chores’ around the house, which she happily does when asked (for however long THAT lasts!). She helps by bringing the empty kitty-food bowl into the pantry, waits while I fill it, then carries it back to it’s place on the floor at the end of the counter. Whenever she removes her shoes, she gladly picks them up and puts them away in the bottom drawer of our kitchen-area desk . . . many times without being asked. Each evening, she rounds up and cups or plates in the living room and brings them to the dishwasher – she’ll even put them in the dishwasher, when it’s not too tricky. After dishes are done, we work together to clean up any toys or books that we’ve played with during the day . . . Meg is very particular about putting things exactly where she knows they belong. At bath time, she helps remove her own clothing and takes it directly to the dirty laundry basket in her bedroom. It’s pretty crazy for me to think that a nearly-two-year-old can handle these tasks . . . but she does. Each time I do something that I think she can handle, I offer the task to her, and she tries it. So far, she’s completed every one. It’s amazing.

I love to watch her think. She reads books to herself, just turning pages, and laughs at the drawings she sees. She imitates those around her – doing sad faces when she sees someone sad, laughing on command, and making a mad face when asked. She colors in her coloring books like a madwoman . . . carefully selecting each and every color she will use. When watching her new favorite, Diego, on TV, she responds to him when he asks, and she participates in the activities on screen.

While her body develops physically on its own, her little brain is in overdrive. I love it.
So today, I look at my little kid and think back to what a baby she once was. Then I think ahead to all that lies ahead. Being a parent is a pretty fantastic experience.

Meg in September -- shortly after we'd moved in to the new house.

Meg on Monday afternoon -- isn't the change remarkable? She looks so much bigger to me now.