Independence "J"

Amy has told me she prays that at least one of our kids is
super-cuddly and low-key. It doesn't look like Jada'll be that one.
She is developing into a strong, confident, and independent little
girl. Once she gets over some initial hesitancies, she's usually
pretty comfortable in social settings. Bedtime is never a fight,
because she's quite OK kissing us goodnight and then chilling in her
crib for up to two hours before she nods off, happily whiling the time
away with her books and her babbling. And whether at home or at the
playground, she knows what she wants, and is pretty physically strong
and emotionally willful in bending us towards that.

My favorite aspect of our little girl's independent streak shows when
I come home from work. She'll run to me and call out "Dada!" and
sometimes want me to read her a book or two. But after that, she'll
play by herself in the living room to give me that oh-so-nice five to
ten minutes to transition from work to home, as far as changing out of
my work clothes and sorting through the mail and having a brief "how
was your day" conversation with Amy. I can't tell you how important
that five to ten minutes is for my sanity.

To be sure, she is still a sweet kid and has her affectionate moments.
And by and large, she's OK when we have to pull rank and not give her
the option of calling the shots. Still, we've got a little Miss
Independent on our hands, and are enjoying every moment and every
nuance. I guess Amy'll just have to wait for the next one to come to
see if she'll get that one cuddly kid.