our little girl’s split persona

Meet Sweetie-McGoody…

…and now, the cougar.

Blythe adds so much dimension and personality to our little family. Even at almost 17 months, she demands an audience. The Sweety-McGoody-Blythe greets me in the morning with her large, doe eyes, dimpled smile, and a “BOO!” Although fiercely independent, she still delights in company — her audience. As I watch her practice new ways to move her eyes or body to further express herself, I anticipate that Blythe will provide a wealth of stories and entertainment as she matures into the world of spoken language. For now, her body language communicates enough. The minutes when my or Mark’s attention is turned away and she needs/wants it, the cougar is unleashed: MOM! MOOOOM! (See photo 2) I can’t even begin to describe the decibel of noise that her tiny body produces. She doesn’t exert anger (although she does get angry), simply the need to be heard and seen. At times I keep functioning, doing whatever it is currently occupying me, only to realize later, “wow, it’s soloud in here.” (I’m guessing that I’m not the only mother who has learned to adapt to noisy sound environments.) The moment that I take the time to recognize and listen to her, she moves on (not necessarily quietly), as do I.  The cougar reverts to Sweetie-McGoody.