Those Magnificant Firsts

I recall walking into the daycare center and seeing her crawl--to me! This was over five years ago, and it was my birthday. She had just given me the most magnificent gift. She had begun to crawl that afternoon and the teachers at her daycare called me to let me know!

Fortunately, I worked within walking distance of her daycare, but for the major highway that connected my office to her school. I got into my car, before the end of the workday, exclusively to see her crawl.

It was wonderful. Having her so nearby when I couldn't actually be at home with her was very special. I used to leave twice during the day, for 15 or 20 minutes to nurse her during that summer, as well.

There, among the other pre-crawlers, crawlers, and a room full of toddlers, I would sit in a rocker, with little Hannah nestled into my arms, and close out the world.

We could have been amongst thousands of onlookers or passersby (more likely, since most of the children were only momentarily curious about nursing or had seen it all before with their baby siblings). Still, with my baby held close to my bosom, it didn't matter. There is nothing more intimate between mother and child than nursing.

It made me wonder. To this day, I do not know whether my mother ever nursed me (or my sister, two years younger than I). This is just one of the many things that I do not know about my wonderful mother, who died when I was six years old.

How unfortunate, I often think, that I cannot share with my own mother my feelings concerning such incredible moments with my own daughter. Did you feel this way with me? I would like to ask my mother. Did you believe that the two of us were alone and special in the world at those moments and that this was perfectly okay?

There is another milestone that will come to pass this September. My daughter, now five and one half, will start Kindergarten.

She is, like many of her friends, just a little too young to have made the cut for Kindergarten attendance last fall. Around here, you have to be five by the end of August to start Kindergarten in September. Since my daughter is a November baby, she did not get to enter Kindergarten last September, but this is really unimportant.

The more important thing is that she be with her peers, who will all be about her age when they begin Kindergarten this fall. She has had a bit longer to mature before starting Kindergarten than children who reached five years old prior to the end of August. This is fine and will serve her well socially.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic