The Fastest 11 Months...EVER

 

It is due time for a little Scout shout out.  She is our joy.  Cliche?  Yes, but ever true.  Watching her grow is so incredibly wild because of how rapidly everything about her changes.  There are things I hope will last forever, like how whenever she hears music of any sort, she throws her arms in the air and sways from side to side, most often with a huge smile on her face.  My favorite is when she looks up to the sky while swaying, as though she REALLY feels the Spirit. 

I also love her call-and-response style of low grunts, and the way she scrunches her nose and repeatedly exhales loudly.  She and Hads spur this on in one another.  They may not be using words, but they are having a conversation. 

 

I love watching Scout crawl around the house with determination, and how she stops to make sure someone is watching, begging the onlooker to chase her.  She squeals, turns around and crawls a few paces, turns back around to make sure she's being chased, then commences.   This game goes on indefinitely.

 

I love how clear her signal is when she is tired.  She begins pulling her hair.  If she happens to get tired while eating dinner, her food inevitably gets rubbed very thoroughly in her hair.  This particular concoction was sweet potatoes and avocado.  We promptly gave her a bath and put her to bed after this pic was snapped.

There are certain things I hope will last forever, but know they won't, while there are also things I hope won't last forever, but am certain they'll never end (i.e. the clingy whiny phase).  I want to do a better job of savoring all the phases--the lovely and the not so lovely.  It is all part of who Scout is becoming. And she's becoming a little girl right before my very eyes.  She hardly seems like a baby any more, which boggles my brain.  I know the evolution is gradual, but I don't recognize the change until it's passed.  For example, where in the world did that wild and crazy sticky-uppy dark hair go?  I now have a toe-headed little girl with pigtails, whose hair may get in her eyes, but certainly doesn't stand up on end.  I kinda sorta (like, really) miss the wildness of her baby hair.  But alas, my baby is becoming less of a baby...right under my nose.  Savor.  I must savor.

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Over the past couple months Scouty has gotten to spend good time with all of her grandparents.  She gets to see her Nana and Papa twice a week, if not more, which is a blessing I can't wholly express.  They are always willing to watch Scout, which affords us the opportunity to get a lot of work done on our house, work our jobs, and...even go on dates!  Win!!!  We love having their involvement in our lives, and specifically, in Scout's little life.  She loves her Nana and Papa.

 

My mom, Grammy, came over Easter, and a couple weeks later, my dad and Laurie, Grampy Hoppy Toad and Grandma, and Aunt Hanna came for a visit.  It is fun to see the special relationships that Scout is forming with each of them.  Scout is very loved.  While we don't get to see them all that often, we truly do cherish each visit.

   

The other day as Scout was crawling around the house, my mother-in-law, Laura, said, "Maybe you should've named her Stay Put."  Ha!  Scout is a very fitting name for her, though I did wonder pre-crawling if she would grow into her name.  She used to be perfectly content sitting still, exhibiting no real desire to venture out.  Gone are those days, people!  She likes to see what there is to see.  She likes to explore our house, and if we let her, she'd crawl all around our disaster of a backyard.  Being that our yard is surely chalk full of roofing nails I don't feel too great about letting her go.  But scout it out is exactly what she'd do.  I particularly love the below picture because it perfectly captures her.  She looks entirely disheveled and unkempt, rockin' her Carhartts, and a single pigtail.  It says, "I play, and I play hard.  And I like it."

 

She is very aware of her surroundings, and likes to really check people out.  She doesn't like anything or anyone obstructing her view, be it a hat, a sun shade, or a human.  She wants to survey the scene. 

One of Scout's favorite pastimes is eating.  She is her daddy's daughter...and mine, for that matter.  Truly, though, she doesn't discriminate against any food.  If it's edible, she wants it.  It makes my job easy.

Our little girl (who sometimes looks like a freaking 6 year old) is our radiant joy.  We are just shy of a year.  ONE YEAR!  Here's to savoring the big and small developments.