Evening Scribbles [November 21, 2024]

The baby's growth is remarkable every single day.
I thought they were just lying there until yesterday, but in the blink of an eye, they were crawling.
Now, with a proud expression that seems to say, "I could do this ages ago, you know?", they show off their squats while holding onto furniture.
It is probably only a matter of time before they start walking.

It is not just physical development; their mental development is also significant.
Lately, their likes and dislikes have become especially clear. In particular, the way they express "I don't want to" has become quite intense.
Furrowing their brow and blowing raspberries until the floor is soaked with spit is the baby's current favorite thing to do.
On top of that, if I try to touch them in a way they don't like, they swing their arms around and smack my hands.
The way they express their dissatisfaction with their whole body, as if to say, "I'm not happy about this!?", is just like a little monster.

That little monster is currently in front of me, touching everything on the TV stand at random.
There is nothing small enough to fit in their mouth, so I am just watching for now.
They pull things out one after another, stare at them intently, or click them together. They are expanding their own world while they play.
I am sure that everything this child sees and touches looks fresh, fun, and beautiful to them right now. They must be right in the middle of all that excitement.
Thinking about that, I feel a little envious, as I have long forgotten that kind of feeling.
Play hard, learn hard.
…I wonder if my own mother and father thought things like that, too.
I am still a novice mother, thinking such things while looking at that small back.