Different

dif·fer·ent adjective. Not the same.

  As I chopped fresh basil from the plant growing on my windowsill, I felt small hands brace themselves on the back of my leg to use me to stand up. I finished chopping the basil and glanced back behind me to find two big blue eyes staring up at me. Our eyes met and we both smiled. Rosalie climbed down and went back to playing with the measuring cups I had given her, as I tossed the basil into the spaghetti I was making. I stared at the pan. Grass fed, hormone free beef with organic fresh tomatoes, fresh home grown basil, and homemade spaghetti sauce I had canned earlier this summer. When did this happen? When did I care about whether something was organic or grass fed? And me, using fresh cut tomatoes! If you would have told me a year and a half ago my spaghetti wouldn't just be a regular pack of hamburger meat with a can of Prego I would look at you like you're crazy. 

  I'm different now. Rosalie has changed my way of thinking completely. I'm conscious of what I put in my body, of what she sees me eating. She's finally old enough and at the stage where she wants to eat what I'm eating and actually can. I don't want to be chowing down on junk food and not be able to share or have to tell her, no you can't have this, it's not good. Well, if it's not good, why am I eating it? I recently started buying vegetables and fruits I've avoided because, well, they look intimidating. Asparagus, cauliflower, zucchini squash, tomatoes, blueberries. I didn't like any of these things. Most I didn't know how to prepare. Now I'm starting to prepare and eat them on a weekly basis. My palate is changing. I can eat bell pepper raw now. I used to turn my nose up at it and think "How could anyone even eat that?" I'm trying new things because I don't want Rosalie to see me turn down something healthy that I would want her to eat just because I don't like it. 

  I'm different now, and it's not a bad thing.

  Rosalie amazes me every day with how smart and beautiful she is. She is constantly picking up on new things. She will do something she knows is wrong, but will look at me first to make sure I see her. She is fast and strong and becoming more independent every day. Loud new noises scare her though so she'll quickly crawl to me.  She has meltdowns where she will cry in one place and I have to go to her. She likes watching the music video "What Does The Fox Say" with Daddy. She loves to play and likes to "sing" loudly when she's tired and doesn't want to sleep. She has favorite TV shows and gets mad when they end and something else comes on. She hates bath time but loves our after bath routine of looking at our reflections in the mirror.

  She is perfect to me and challenges me to be better not only for myself and my husband, but for her. She's made me challenge everything that has to do with raising her and I'm glad.

  I'm different now, and I enjoy these small Twinkles in Time in this blessed life I've been given.

Thanks for reading.