Exploring the great outdoors...

Rylie was able to explore the outdoors for the first time this week. Don't get me wrong, she is outside every day, however, she is either being held, controlled, or strolled in the push chair. It isn't that I haven't allowed her such freedom, but her lack of exploration is due to her own inabilities. Although she has been walking for a few months now, she has been unable to walk with shoes on her feet. She would become handicapped. It was as if you just put ten ton weights on her feet. She couldn't lift them off the ground, and she would just stand there and cry. But now a whole new world has opened up to Rylie. She has conquered her fear of shoes and has been able to play outside.

It has been so fun watching her explore. I love watching her figure all the outdoor toys out, play with pebbles and throw them at Carson, even jump on the trampoline. She has proven to be very capable and intelligent. And now the great challenge is no longer shoes but just keeping her indoors. When she hears the front door open she makes a bee-line for it and very quickly. Often resulting in tears because she just wasn't fast enough to make it outside, or because she was fast enough and I have to pull her back inside. I love this about motherhood; watching your kids discover something new.