Independence Day

I put her down in the living room to log some miles crawling on the hardwood floors, as opposed to the usual carpet. Supposedly this will inspire her to walk because the hard surface will be less comfortable for her. She is wearing shoes today, a rare occurrence, but she needs to get used to them because it will be tough getting service without them. I open the front door, so the light will come in to brighten up the room and then I leave her alone for a few minutes while I tinker in the kitchen. When I return, she is sitting like this.

Peaceful, she contemplates the outside world from this new vantage point. It seems it has only been a few weeks that she could get around so successfully and fewer still that she has been able to raise herself to a sitting position, yet here she is as though she had always been doing it. My little girl, finding her way, stretching the limits of her newfound independence.