Out and About

One of my favorite times of the day with my daughter is when I take a walk with her. During my maternity leave it was something I looked forward to everyday from the moment I woke up. I always planned out where we would go ahead of time – running errands, eating lunch, or just aimlessly walking around the neighborhood.

The first few weeks were great because the moment I would put her in the stroller, she would nap. So I could spend some time eating lunch or reading a book at a park bench while I rocked her further into sleep. Occasionally when I didn’t have a specific errand to run, I’d just walk up and down blocks in my neighborhood just to get her to feel the bumps of the street beneath her stroller. As she grew more, she would watch everything that was going on around her. She would occasionally doze off. However, she spent most of the time observing EVERYTHING. 

The best part of these more recent walks has been to watch her watching people, places, things and seeing her expressions to the noises surrounding her. On cold days, I’d bundle her up completely so all I could see were her eyes – two big brown eyes peering past the stroller cover to see what the world had to offer. 

Now that I’m not with her everyday, her dad tells me about their walks. And he too is mesmerized by her observation skills. He even decided to get a camera that he put on the stroller to just look at her when they are out on their walks. I am looking forward to seeing those expressions again. 

I look forward to the weekends when I can go out with her and she can show me the world through her eyes. I can’t wait to take her on trips outside of the neighborhood so she can experience more of the city and even the world.