Have a seat

This isn't something that's generally included among major developmental milestones, but I have been impressed recently as Madeline has learned to sit. It sounds simple enough, but it was only when she started to do it that I realized she hadn't been doing it before.

Or maybe I should more specifically say that she's learned to sit on things. Rather than just plopping down in the middle of the floor, her sitting has become more targeted and deliberate. For the first time this week I've watched her intentionally approach a chair, turn herself around and back up to it, and sit. She does the same when she wants to sit in my lap when I'm on the floor with her.

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I think it's something about moving backward toward an object - she's been walking for three months now, and it's always been forward. I guess it's like a teenager who's learning to parallel park - it's easy to drive forward, but now she's attempting more complex maneuvers. It's a movement that we execute without thinking, but for her it must be a leap of faith to shift herself backward and trust that she'll end up on the chair.

It's just a blip on the scale of exciting achievements, but something I thought was worth noting.