Unicorn Sightings

Unicorn: legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard and cloven hooves. 

There's a unicorn in my house. Actually, it's my toddler. We've been calling her this because she reminds us of a mythical creature, sometimes associated with fantasy, sometimes with drugs, but always with disbelief. At times I still can't believe that my tiny little baby is now a 20 pound walking, babbling little girl.  Sometimes we let her wander around the house a little bit while we're doing stuff. She'll walk and babble, go into one room, and then into another, back and forth, until she comes back again. We call it a unicorn sighting. What a beautiful creature, we say. Is she really real?

Today we went to the pediatrician for her 15 month checkup. A couple walked into the waiting room with a tiny newborn sleeping in his carseat. Newborn parents are easy to spot. They look exhausted but stunned, like a rabid squirrel just bit them or something.

"Awww. How old?" I asked.
"One week," said the dad, his eyes bugging out.
"Wow, congratulations," I said.
"D-does yours sleep longer?" he asked. Its obvious that he's had a lot of coffee this morning.
"Oh, yeah. She's 15 months. She sleeps 11-12 hours a night," I said, looking down at the perfectly still toddler in my Ergo. E's only quiet because she's looking around with a scared expression since she knows that she has had shots here before.
 "He was up all night, just crying and crying."
"Oh, I've totally been there," I said, half sympathetically, half smirking. Not sure why I'm smirking. I feel like a veteran talking to a new recruit or something. This rookie has just entered boot camp and he has no idea.
"I really had no idea it was going to be like this," he continues. "I mean, people told us we wouldn't sleep, but I didn't think... like..." he trails off, unable to finish his sentence.
"I know. The first couple months are really intense. Don't worry, it gets better," I tried to reassure him as the nurse called us into the exam room.

I guess there are some things I don't miss about the early days, even though I now spend most of my day chasing her around and am totally exhausted by 6pm. A unicorn sighting is still exhilerating every time.

Some photos from our doctor visit today. Its impossible to get a non-blurry picture of her lately since she is ALWAYS moving!