The cutest little alarm clock gave us an early wake-up call. “Mama Mama” she said. And “Papa Papa.” Or, was it “hapa?” Not quite sure yet. Then she rolls from my wife to me, and touches my face. She had to crawl from her cot and over my wife to get to where she is now (her cot is attached to our bed). Now she’s heading back to Mama…
This, my friends, is life with a nine month old baby. I’m feeling tired from the early wake-up, but it’s impossible to be angry with such a cute alarm clock. Our little one is becoming ever more capable and fun. And, she’s about to cross an invisible milestone.
No, this milestone isn’t her starting to say “Mama.” Nor is it the ability to stand, or her recent mastery of picking up little things with her pincer grasp (and putting them in her mouth…). In fact, it has nothing to do with her increasing abilities.
She’s about to cross the threshold where she’s spent just as much time out in the world as she has spent in the womb. Nine months in; nine months out. This will never repeat. From here on out, her time out in the real world grow and grow, until it’s many times her “in-womb time.”
An Epic Transformation
Her 18 months of existence have seen a gigantic transformation. She started out as a fertilized egg. About 0.1mm in size, she had no skills whatsoever… unless you count being able to implant on the uterus lining as a skill.
Since then she’s grown to over 7000 times her original size, and her skill set has grown tremendously. She crawls, stands, mutters little words, smiles and responds ever more to those around her. New skills are mastered every day. She’ll continue growing both in size and capabilities. While growing in size will slow, her ability to learn should last a lifetime.
This is why the Bountiful Potential logo features a human embryo. Just like my daughter started out as a small embryo, so does human potential. Those first few cells can do nothing. Similarly, our knowledge and skill-set starts as nothing. Pure unrealized potential.
What happens next is amazing. Those first few cells quickly grow into a body many times its original size, with arms, legs, organs and a brain. Our potential can also grow from pretty much nothing to gigantic proportions. Just look at the worlds greatest in all fields (science, philosophy, art, music, sports, etc.). They all started just like we did, a tiny embryo.
Our child is now roughly nine months old, and just 18 months into her life’s journey. We’ve been given a glimpse of her ability to learn and grow. Who will she become? God alone knows that. We’re here to help her find out, and to enjoy the journey with her.
#9MonthsIn9MonthsOut
Insta-mums/moms/dads, has your child just reached the 9 month milestone? Celebrate the invisible milestone using the hashtag #9MonthsIn9MonthsOut.
