Ah Damn.

Ella got up the stairs today.  She's been real deal crawling for a little over a week.  I mean, motoring with both knees coordinated and head down and hands cruising and little raw red marks on her knees by the end of the day crawling.  She inches towards the office.  Stops by the dog toy bin.  Keeps heading down the hall and HOLY GRAIL there's the stairs.  What is more perfect than a small, reachable ledge that's just the right height for stubby legs to swing themselves up on?  Stairs are not going to move out from under you.  They aren't going to get up and walk away (like when your doggie is sitting nicely against the couch and you grab her collar and stand up all wobbly like and your doggie looks at you like what the hell? and walks away and you fall on your face).  And, your big brother left his nice little bucket of trains on the landing so all you have to do is crawl and shimmy and swing your way up two little perfect-baby-height stairs.  Done!  Throw each and every train out of the bucket knocking yourself in the heels with half of them.  Done! 

Where did my little baby go?  I used to set her down on her kangaroo blankie in the living room and unload the dishwasher, fold some laundry, and vaccuum and know perfectly well that she'd still be there chewing on Big Bird's nose when I was done.  Smiling and laughing and perfectly content.  Damn!  Those days are over! 

I mean, yay for growth and all but LAME!  Now I am on the chase.  My saving graces are the exersaucer and the playpen.  Fortunately she still loves to get in both of those.  I am screwed when those have seen their day. 

Oh yeah, Breckin said I had a unique perspective.  And, read a new book all by himself.  And sent Daddy an email.  And, knows how to click on the Add to Wish List button when he sees toys on the computer that he likes.  And, plays computer games on playhousedisney.com and nickjr.com.  Again, where the hell did my babies go?