Just Breathe....

There is a saying "don't hold your breath", that is often used sarcastically, so obviously I have repeated it often. We have all heard the saying, typically used when a situation is highly unlikely and one shouldn't hold their breath as they will pass out from a lack of oxygen. But that is exactly how I have felt lately, like I am simply holding my breath and waiting...

Olivia has made it through a plethora of milestones and I cannot be any more proud of her than I am right now. With each milestone we have often focused on a specific task or activity to ensure success, such as the practice and hard work helping her to rollover. We even continue to make progress now as we work to help her to roll to her right side consistently (stomach to back). Or when we were working on Olivia feeding herself, it wasn't happening right away, but I knew she would get there and I didn't worry all that much about it. Achieving this specific milestone never bounced repeatedly over and over in my brain because I knew that with time, Olivia would conquer this goal. She always does.

(Olivia rolls over for the first time ever, back to stomach, at 8 months!)

But for some reason, despite knowing she will eventually reach this milestone, I still feel as though I am holding my breath waiting for Olivia to take her first steps. It is such a monumental milestone in any child's life and one that a parent will remember forever. And as this is such a significant accomplishment, I find myself wondering when it will happen, when will Olivia be able to match her peers and walk to get from point A to point B? When will Olivia stand up and make those steps and then look up at me as if to say, "Oh my gosh, are you seeing this?! Check me out, Mom!" Or at least, that is how I envision Olivia would communicate if she was able to talk...

When I was in high school (ages and ages ago), there was this movie that starred Drew Barrymore called "Ever After". This movie was a Cinderella tale of sorts and I was able to commandeer the movie poster from the local rental store (it was free). The poster portrayed a glowing, glimmering and enchanting Drew Barrymore in a gorgeous white gown and the caption read "Just Breathe". As my Mom and maybe even my sister can attest to, I was obsessed with this movie. The point of the movie was supposed to empower women, help to overcome your circumstances and follow your dreams (as I have since read online). However, to be honest, I think I was simply obsessed with this white dress and the words "just breathe". At the time in high school, I would find myself echoing these same words to myself before a class presentation, when talking to a cute boy, or before a penalty kick in a soccer game.

Sophomore Year Prom Dress 1998
(If you could see this dress clearly, you
would know just how obsessed
I was with this movie)

Drew Barrymore, Ever After, 1998

But today, I cannot help but to remind myself of these exact words when it comes to my daughter's milestones. Because it will happen and Olivia will get there, but it will be when SHE is ready. So for now, I will remember to just breathe and take this time to recognize her current accomplishments and know that through these baby steps she will eventually learn to fly (and of course walk too).

Olivia is currently working on crawling to help strengthen her core and enable her to walk one day soon. She is also working on standing, using both feet for support and using her right arm to help balance.