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My Pet

She carries things in her mouth. She follows us around the house. She gets into the toilet paper, unravels it and eats it. She does tricks on command. No, it's not our dog. It's our baby, Caroline!
Sure, she was fun as a newborn when we were thoroughly entertained to watch her sleep in her bassinet. We continued to be amused and delighted as she learned to sit up and hold her own bottle. The fun has really begun the past few months as it seems she learns something new by the day. Better than any TV show, Caroline is the highlight around the house. There is nothing better than sharing her latest trick with Andy from waving good bye to mimicking "All done!" after she's finished her bottle.
You might have thought from our reaction that Caroline won the Nobel Prize when she (finally) picked up the sippy cup and took a swig of juice. We cheered and clapped with glee and she in turn giggled and clapped, perhaps proud of her own accomplishment or more astutely, pleased that she had pleased her parents.
My friend who works in college admissions recently told me that a number of applicants write their college essays about their mothers. Kids aim to please their parents their whole lives. It is always in a child's mind to wonder whether her mother (or father) would approve of her decisions and actions. This is such a powerful thought to a new parent whose main goal in life is to constantly please her child. No matter what Caroline does, I think she's wonderful. Today it's mastering the sippy cup that delights and thrills us. What's down the road? Sports accomplishments, good grades, elite colleges? I hope we never forget the small things she's already accomplished, that are really the hardest, like sitting up and saying "Momma, Dada".

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