First things First

On Thursday night Sophie laughed for the first time. We had seen traces leading up to this day over the past few weeks. Before I had Sophie I had the impression that firsts were very black and white. Baby doesn't laugh. Then baby laughs. Clear-cut. Monumental. That hasn't been my experience. As with the laughter. For the past few weeks she's been leading up to laughing. Perhaps one sound with a smile that we would both ask each other 'was that a laugh??' Or she would be 'on the edge' and almost crying and I would tickle her and she would kind of laugh. But does kind of crying and kind of laughing constitute a first laugh?? When do we write it on the calendar?? I need black and white firsts!! Life is interesting...way more grey than we think. A slow and gradual lead up to life's milestones.

For this 'first' Brett and I were both there, playing with Sophie under her play gym. We were tickling her and all the sudden she started laughing. Really laughing. She kept laughing. This is perhaps the best sound I have ever heard. Now we were all laughing (and Brett and I also crying...laughter and tears really are very close together). It was an amazing moment.

The next morning when Sophie woke up she was holding her hands together and playing with them! (to those people who aren't in babyland at the moment...forgive me, you may not find this fascinating!). She was looking at her chubby little fingers and exploring the other hand. Again, in my books they say 'discover their hands'....hmmmm. For the past few weeks Sophie has been sucking on her fists, is that discovering her hands?? Or she will rub her eyes with her hands (pretty amazing feat of co-ordination if you ask me!). Is that discovering? That morning she was definitely discovering. Incredible. I feel so thankful to be able to be a witness to her brand new world.

Later that morning she was again playing under her playgym and she began holding the toys instead of batting them. She would consciously stop her hands and grab. Then the toy (in this case an unsuspecting flower) was repeatedly brought into her mouth.

Lastly, Sophie has discovered a favourite toy. In the corner of her changetable we have a stuffed animal/mobile that lights up and chimes 'You are my Sunshine'. Now everytime we lay Sophie down on the table she lifts her head up to look for her butterfly. I swear that she remembers that it's there (all you people up on child development probably think I'm crazy, but it's true!). All that matters is that I see a big gumby grin whenever she sees her butterfly light up and chime.

I was chatting with a friend last week about babyland and the paradox of the routine/ordinary interlaced with the extraordinary. On one hand the days are quite routine now (feeding, playing, kissing, sleeping, squeezing, changing...repeat). My old fast-paced life has been replaced by a slower, rhythm. There are times that are boring. But at the same time these days are interspersed with the most life-changing, awe-inspiring moments that are incomparable with anything. All of the sudden, Sophie will do something new, see something for the first time. It may seem small, but yet it is huge. Something like turning her head when she hears someone walk in the room, seeing a flame for the first time, or putting that silly flower in her mouth. At that moment I see life through an entirely new lens. And that is definitely a first for me.