Climb Every Mountain...

We officially have a climber in our household!  I like to blame all of the packed boxes and our very agile cats that have created this new and profound skill.  Today, I created pillow stairs so Everdeen could independently climb up and down the couch all day long.  She's so brave...always trying new things even if it means her mother has a constant heart attack :)  

It's been almost a year since I started my new role as a mama...and I still have so much to learn. Lately it's been learning how to let Everdeen go and explore so that she can learn about this world all around us. Some days I can let go, but other days...most days, I need my little girl right beside me.  She's much to little to leave the nest and besides I have 18 years until that happens right? :) 

Lately, I've been having the hardest time transitioning Everdeen to eat finger foods. I'm in constant panic that she's going to choke. Life was simple when she only drank milk. Last night I gave her tiny pieces of beef. She took one little piece and made the gaggiest face you ever saw and proceeded to take ten minutes to chew her pea sized bite. It was a face all too familiar one that I had made a million times to my own mother. I found myself wanting to tell her, "It's okay! You don't have to eat that if you don't like it!" But I stopped myself.  That's not what I'm supposed to say to her.  So instead I smiled really big and said "YUMMY!" in an overly loud and happy voice. If she could roll her eyes she probably would have :)    

I want Everdeen to always be brave, to try new things.  I want her to have confidence and believe in herself.  I know that it's my job to help instill these things in her and some days I wonder how to do this when I don't really feel those things.  Maybe it will just have to be something that we learn together.  She's already taught me to be more brave than I ever thought possible...I mean I carried and birthed a baby, I'd say that's pretty brave.