Day 308: Looking for the sounds of silence

I have a really loud baby. I may have mentioned this in the past. Everyone loves a baby who coos and squeals and giggles. A crying baby can even be cute, providing it's not your own. But the big, teary eyes and gasping sobs can be kind of sweet. What people don't tend to love quite so much is a baby that screeches so loud and so high that it just about shatters the windows. This girl is crazy. It's near impossible to take her to restaurants or bookstores or -well, out in public, period - because she causes such a noisy disruption. It's interesting to watch, in a way, because you can see her prepare for it. She waves her little hands around, her face goes bright red, her eyes get huge and wide, and then.... "AAAIIIHHHHHEEEEEEEEEE!" It is without question the loudest thing I have ever heard. It's shocking. People always turn in the direction of the noise, looking kind of horrified. I then launch into an explanation of "inside voices" and "quiet time," knowing that of course she has no clue as to what I'm saying.

The funny thing is that I am notoriously soft spoken. It drives Fernando crazy. He always says he has to pull over, roll up the windows, turn off the radio, put the volume on his phone up, and concentrate really hard to listen to my voicemails. And I know he's not exaggerating, because virtually every time I am leaving a message for someone the system cuts in when I'm halfway through to ask me to "Please begin speaking." So how did I end up with a daughter who seemingly thinks that effective expression occurs at a minimum of 100 decibels? I have a feeling that this is one of many areas where she and I will discover we are not exactly two peas in a pod. Which is a good thing. Right?

Maddie is getting so much more mobile, it's incredible. Suddenly she's up, down, around, and everywhere. I really don't think it will be too much longer before she starts walking. I can't wait for those first steps! It's amazing how much you look forward to these milestones. It can become a bit of an obsession if you're not careful. I think FTMs (first time moms) are particularly guilty of this. We're just so anxious to see each achievement, to fill out every blank page in the baby book (had we remembered to purchase one). Those seasoned moms who've been through it all before know how fast this time goes and so don't wish a second of it away. Me, I'm already picking out my dress for her highschool graduation ceremony (I'm thinking: tight, black, strapless. Oh, and sequined, of course). But I'm trying to remember to stop and smell the roses - or the poopy pants, as the case may be - along the way.