Cecilia Bedilia

So inquisitive, so smart, Cecilia picked up on life quickly--she had us all wrapped around her little finger.
She was born into a large family that couldn't have been happier to add one more. We were ecstatic. I am the oldest of five, so we were all anxious to have a new little one running around. I took that baby every chance I had. At the time, I was living with my mom, and my sister lived three houses down the street. We saw Cecilia many times a week. She was the light.
If I had a bad day, I knew that having baby time would make it better. And it did...it does. Children have no concept of stress, responsibility, social stigmas or prejudices. Their innocence is refreshing, and the time I spend with her gives me time to reflect on everything I've forgotten. Imagination. Wonder. Discovery.
All these things get pushed to back burner as we grow into adulthood; and, although I have no children of my own, I love finding those elements of childhood with Cecilia.
Cecilia has always been calmed by the outdoors. She loves outside. When she was only weeks old, I remember taking her outside to calm her and walking with her, telling her that I would take her hiking and camping. Her eyes opened wide, and her little head bobbled as she tried to lift it from my shoulder, almost as if she was agreeing with my proposal.
When she started to crawl, I would take her out front in my mom's garden. She loved the flowers, and learned at an early age to be gentle with petals. Very cute.
Even before Cecilia could crawl, we knew she had her own mind--what I mean by that is, she knew what she wanted when she wanted it, and would rarely stop before she got it. When she started to travel through the house on her own, she explored as much as she could.
Mom and I spent a lot of time, baby-proofing the house, and designating certain areas as "baby" areas. Some bottom drawers and cabinets were filled with tupperware, some pots and wooden spoons for her instrumental experimentation. She loved all her little "toys." The other areas, we taught her that they were not for her, and still, to this day, I haven't seen her get into any drawers or cabinets other than her own.