On Independence

Our delicious and patriotic fruit salad! (Personal Photo)

Happy Independence Day!

This sentiment is a day late for the 4th, but it's really never too late to celebrate our independence. I'm very thankful to be able to raise my family in a country where freedom is celebrated. Yesterday, we enjoyed some quality family time, participating in several classically American activities: a parade, a hotdog cookout, a festival with games and music, and fireworks, of course!

Independence is something I've thought about a lot lately, and not just because of the holiday, or because it's incorporated in the title of my blog. It's because my baby is now eight months old, and he's discovering his own independence. The tiny baby that used to fall asleep on me is now a big baby, triple his original size. Nursing isn't his only source of food and comfort anymore. He eats just about any new food he can get his hands on. And he's learning how to move on his own! Although he's not quite crawling, he's rocking and stretching out to get wherever he may want to be.

It's a little scary to think that my baby is taking his first steps toward not needing me, but it's wonderful to celebrate it as well. I've had a desire for autonomy for as long as I can remember, and it probably started with my first taste of moving by myself. I'm proud that I've been able to support myself independently in the past, even if I'm not doing it now, and I know I'll be proud of my baby when he grows up to support himself.

For now, I'll enjoy holding him as long as he'll let me.