There is a first for everything

I had one of the grossest moments of parenting yesterday: throw up. Grace was waking up from a nap and started coughing profusely. I went in her room and she kept coughing and finally finished the coughing fit with throwing up. The first time it was neatly pooled on the sheet. The second time she lifted her head and sprayed. It was on the wall, my shirt, her hair and face. All I can say is disgusting! And the poor thing is looking up at me like she doesn't know what hit her and then of course I want to hold her because she looks so sad and disoriented and then it's really all over my shirt. You feel horrible for a child that's just thrown up!

So that was the first bout with throw up. Luckily it wasn't the flu and it was a one time occurence:) She was fine after that. This "first" made me think of all kinds of other firsts that have happened over the past two months since I wrote last. She has been saying all kinds of words lately that I just have to record so I remember. The longest word on record is lawn mower and I'm not even joking. Grace is obsessed with lawn mowers in the neighborhood and lucky her, there are lawn mowing companies around here just about every day. It sounds like "mawnmowr." Other first words have been hi, bye-bye, no (that's a favorite right now), momma, daddy, mole (weird word grandma taught her), ball.

Another one of my recent favorite "firsts" has been singing along with nursery rhymes and songs. She is enamored of any song that has motions. "If you're happy and you know it"and "The Wheels on the Bus" are some of her favorites. Now I don't really mean that she sings along. It's more like monotone humming and every so often I hear the right consonants, but I think she has the rhythms down!

Grace is also getting quite smart and a little sassy in her 18th month. She has mastered opening the fridge to ask for her milk or "meh" as she calls it. She also asks very nicely with sign language and everything (please) if she can have a popsicle (pah) out of the freezer. I'm a little concerned with her sharing skills. If you ask her for a bite of her popsicle she will proceed to taunt you with the popsicle by putting it close to your mouth and then pulling it away with a great big NO. She thinks this is very funny:)

I think one of the most amazing things about being a parent is the realization that your child has a mind of their own and that they are slowly separating themselves from you. For so many months you are in control of their every move. But once they hit about a year and a half they already begin to separate. They have so many of their own opinions, likes, dislikes, preferences, ideas etc. This is only the beginning for me. This, I think, is the constant struggle of parenthood. You want them to have their own opinions, likes, dislikes, preferences, ideas. It is such a joy to watch and experience. But they are ever so slowly separating themselves from you. I have a long road ahead of me:)