So, the 30th was my beloved Chicken's seventh month birthday. It seems utterly crazy to me that she's already getting to be such a big girl--I was considering that just the other night, in fact. I was reading her a story, and she kept reaching out to touch the pages(translate to tear-if-she-got-a-chance), and I was thinking proudly how adept I've become at dodging tiny hands just enough to not damage a book and yet still allow her to touch the pictures. It crossed my mind then that just a few short months ago, my girl was just learning to sit up without assistance and, a couple of months before that, was learning to hold her head up. And, now, my little munchkin is eagerly reaching for pages and grass and anything else her little hands can grab. She's taken to grasping the spoon for bites tightly, unwilling to let you do it all by yourself anymore. (And, mostly, I don't mind--unless we're out and about and her clothes need to stay relatively clean. Then, again--Queen of the Dodge here.) So, anyway--that's where we at: the downhill slide into a year old territory. Crazy.
To celebrate, Madelyn, her Daddy, and I all took a trip to Cades Cove to take seventh month birthday pictures. Especially since this girl is an outside lovin' girl, it seemed the perfect little day-trip to take. She LOVED it! She happily drank a bottle and kicked and watched all the trees pass. She stared with interest when we stopped to look at deer grazing near the road. Each time we got out was a brand new venture, complete with babbled commentary and smiles.
Naturally, the very first stop was at the Primitive Baptist Church. We have several cute shots of her on a pew, with the faint light shining in from a window, barely cutting through the black darkness that blanketed most of the church, even in the broad daylight. And, yet, of all of those, my total fave--as usual--was a foot picture. Now, normally, I hate feet. But her little feet and her little hands are so absolutely beautifully perfect that I can't stand it. I loved how she was standing on her little toes.
I'll be honest: it never would have occurred to me to let Madelyn grab onto this old, slightly rusted wire to hold on to and stand, but it was one of her favorite parts of the trip. The wire had enough give to allow her to wriggle, but enough strength to keep her from toppling. This girl was so stinkin' proud of herself. She'd go back and forth between heart-warming grins (usually straight at the camera, even with little to no effort from Daddy--little ham) to model striking poses where she stared off into the stormy mountains nearby. I swear, she was doing it for the camera.
It WAS, however, my idea to take little rocking chair pictures in the woods. I have to give credit where it's due, though--the rocking chair was Matt's relative's of some sort, I believe. And, I think when she's old enough to rock in it, she is totally going to dig it. Because she LOVED sitting in it, period. And that was with sticks used to prop it up so that she COULDN'T rock it; with the recent topple from the bed still fresh in our minds, we weren't taking any chances...the frames are so close because I was less than six inches away, poised to catch her should she even think about leaning too far forward. I think my previously posed question--who was more traumatized by the bed incident?--has been answered. She has recovered with absolutely no alteration in her curiosity or hesitancy to her lean. I have not. And, yes, in the picture above and to the left--she is standing totally by herself again. I'm telling you--seven months have passed too quickly. We are so, so proud of our gorgeous girl--she is the brightest, most cantankerous, easily excited, quick to giggle ray of sunshine to have ever shone on my life. She is her Daddy's pride and joy and the sweet little love of my life. Merry Seven Months Birthday, sweet Chicken!
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