Tastebuds: an ordinary miracle

Warning: Sadie love-fest to follow

When Sadie was born, I remember being astonished by the fact that she had a nose. In fact, I was totally blown away that she posessed all of the physical features of a human being. This might sound ridiculous I know, and it's not like I was expecting to give birth to a kangaroo, but in my post-partum state I was utterly amazed that my body had grown this little being - and correctly at that! A nose! A perfect nose! How???? (Okay, okay, meiosis, blah blah blah).

But to all the parents out there, you know what I'm talking about, right?

I've had a year and a half to get used to all the little miracles that make up her physical form. As she gets older, it's her language development and comprehension that amaze me on a daily basis. Her new favourite game is "Shhh! Hide!" which she initiates independently and spontaneously, and she has somehow acquired a distinct recognition of the game of hockey, even though Scott and I are far from devoted fans.
She nods when appropriate, responds to suggestions, and pats her thigh to summon the dog. She laughs when things are funny.
One day we picked up Scott from the sea plane terminal and now everytime she hears or sees a float plane she says: "Daddy?" I am facinated by her little brain and the associations it is capable of making.

We have a 45 minute drive home everyday and for the most part, Sadie sits silently in the backseat, gazing out the window at the mountains and the trees. We wonder what she could possibly be thinking about. Milk? Coco? Toys? Mommydadda? The theory of relativity?

I find it hard to believe I've only known her for a year and a half. Where has she been all this time?
I believe that at least some small part of her has been with me all along - in the melodies I've heard, in the sunshine I've felt, in the love that I have found.

Photo: Michelle Loewen