I never had thought of 14 months as a special age for kids, but Sonia is so sweet right now. Part of it, I am sure, is that she is not only able to communicate her wishes to us better but also understand what we are telling her. Just a few weeks ago, I tried to toss her onesie into the hamper and missed. "Hey Sonia, can you put your onesie in the hamper?" I almost heard her say, "Sure Mom!" as she charged over, picked it up, and flung it in. She likes to do things with flair and gusto. One of my favorite moments is when, from across the room, she will suddenly break into a run with a big smile and her arms out. She continues running full force into my chest then gives me a big hug. I do not think I have ever described her odd expressions of affection for her silky. When she is really excited or upset, she grabs it and buries her face in it, biting it and stuffing it in her mouth while moving her head back and forth. I think she would be very pleased if she knew just how dramatic it looks.
Of course, she does not have any self-consciousness of how anything she is doing looks. She is a vessel of free flowing emotion. I think this is part of what makes toddlers so awesome. The painful emotions are even more distressing for her than physical injury; she has cried for twenty minutes after being told "no", but just seconds after a fall that gave her a bruise. At the same time, she can get so joyous she runs, yells and kisses all at once. That only happens to me every few months at most, but for her, it's every few hours.
In addition to understanding more, she is also able to do more. She is running, walking down small steps (not stairs, yet), and climbing. I was finally able to get a picture of her walking. Most of my attempts look like the bottom one.
I read a blog a friend of mine posted on Facebook that mused over our tendency to admire and compliment little girls on their looks. They are adorable. Yet, what are we suggesting when this is the first thing we remark on? The author proposed asking little girls what books they are reading as a way to initiate conversation. I am trying to do this because I think it is important that appearance not be a major concern, especially for children.
People remark to me all the time how beautiful Sonia is. She is lucky, as one stranger commented to me, as things are easier for good-looking people. She always has been and always will be gorgeous to me, so I love to photograph her. It is also fun to share charming photos. Sometimes, though, I worry that by taking so many photos of her, I will make her preoccupied with how she looks.
So, with that, here are some new photos of our little girl. That red shirt reads, "All You Need Is Love". It's one of my favorites.
