The question becomes how do I do this with a baby in tow? Keeping her in the carrier is just cruel – I’m holding a shiny toy within her reach that I just wont let her touch. And getting her out and setting up the stroller at each different location became so cumbersome that I just stopped doing it altogether.

Wasn’t there a way to get a good photograph without unloading 20 pounds of squirming cuteness and another 30 pounds of stroller? Why couldn’t I just roll down the car window and shoot from there?

So I did.

Here’s some evidence of my drive by shootings along Highland Drive on Queen Anne Hill.

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Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

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Congratulations you two! I think you are perfect for each other.

before

after

You are definitely on the go these days. Crawling, climbing, standing, and getting in to everything. The moment I take something away, you are instantly six feet away and into something else.

I love that you are so curious and determined and persistent. I love that you will climb over teddy bears and books and blankets to investigate something that captures your attention. I love that you don’t give up when something is difficult.

And this is where parenting starts to get difficult. How do I keep you safe while at the same time, not squash your determination? Everything we do to baby-proof, to keep you safe, is an obstacle. I don’t want you to give up. I want you to be persistent. I want you to overcome obstacles. Except that one, and that one, and that one, and that one, and… and every thing else I put in your way to help keep you safe.

I feel like I tell you “no” all the time.

So what do I do? Do I teach you to give up now, and then try to re-teach determination when you get older? That doesn’t sit well with me. On the other hand, I have to keep you safe. You took a pretty big fall the other day; big enough that I took you in to see the doctor (you checked out just fine). That really scared me.

Your motor skills are pretty advanced for your age, I’m afraid they may be more advanced than your language or cognative skills. You’re no dummy, but you are still a baby. A seven month old baby. I can’t explain these things to you. The concept of cause and effect goes right over your head.

We are working on boundaries, and you are starting to get it. But boundaries wont help those situations where you try to stand up all by yourself in the middle of the living room – with nothing to hold on to. You are going to fall. Hopefully you will land on your butt, but sometimes you do a face plant. You cry a bit, and then five minutes later you try to stand up again. I love that! But standing up all by yourself makes the world more dangerous for you. We have to deal with that.

Daddy and I have been joking about getting a helmet for you, but we wouldn’t do that. You see, you need the little bumps. You need to fall down, even though it hurts. Maybe because it hurts. It’s the fact that you get up and try it again even after it hurts that makes you determined and persistent. That is how you learn. You learn so much more from success after many, many attempts than you would if you were successful at everything the first time you tried. Its the bumps that teach, not the triumphs. And the little bumps, hopefully, will help protect you from the big bumps. I can’t teach you cause and effect, it is something you have to learn from experience. The little bumps can teach you that, and teach you to be careful around the things that can cause the big bumps.

You can do anything you set your mind to. I may from time to time put obstacles in your way. Don’t assume that means “not ever,” more likely it just means “not yet.” I am so proud of you.

Love

Mommy

Not only is she sitting up now, she’s getting herself up on her knees

And my curious little girl is crawling

Crawling very fast

I’m afraid to blink

Blog Action Day

This December the world’s leaders will come together in Copenhagen to discuss climate change and a global response. President Obama was voted into office with a mandate to make a change, including a change to our approach to caring for the environment. Let’s remind him of his promise to take a stand for the planet that we will pass down to our children and grandchildren.

Sign the petition to tell President Obama that we want him to to carry this mandate for change to the world leaders and take action to significantly reduce greenhouse gasses.

The view of Puget Sound from Edmonds, Washington.

I suspect I’m not the only writer that combines this odd mix of arrogance and self-flagellation by thinking my first draft should be good enough, and beating myself up when it’s not. Is there a self help group? A pill? Perhaps I should paint in big bold red letters above my couch “IT’S JUST A DRAFT!“

I did get more out of the writer’s conference. It was my first one and I’m hooked. I got home and immediately went online to see if there were any more conferences coming up in the area.

And now I’m going to go ahead and hit publish on the first draft of this post. Really, I did learn that lesson. I also know that sometimes you’ve gotta just do it or it will never get done. It’s been a week since I posted anything in here, although I’m sitting on several posts that I’ve been re-writing. Life is a balance folks.

What writing issues are you working on?