As with any major life transition, learning to raise a child is a multi-faceted endeavor. As I move through each day, I find myself thinking about “connecting.”
I try to connect with my daughter each day. At 11 weeks, she has really started to coo and be verbal. So I’m trying to connect with her through language and voice. This is an important skill for her develop, so I try really hard to connect through talking.
I try to connect to nature. My goal is to take a walk with Ellie each day. I hope that she’ll hear the birds singing and the rustle of leaves—natural sounds that I believe will provide comfort to her now and as she grows. Last night I already saw some fireflies around town, offering a sign that the seasons are moving along.
Being a stone’s throw from the capital, I realize that I have ample opportunity to connect Ellie to her national heritage. My mom and I took her for some pictures on the National Mall and the National Archives. I thought about how maybe someday she’ll be a senator or lobbyist, and how this was her first trip to see the Capitol! At the very least she will later bear witness to the history and present day governing of her country.
