Elle's newest surprise!!

I always say that she never ceases to amaze me and today was no different. If you're reading this and you don't know Elle...it will mean nothing to you. If you know her..you'll cheer for her as I did!!

My friend, Kim, and Kate, whom she babysits during the day, headed out for a little shopping and lunch. After a few new outfits for Elle and some new Christmas ornaments to add to our tree this year we headed over to Panera for lunch. Restaurants with Elle are hard sometimes. For starters, Elle is not yet able to sit so she has to stay in her stroller. She gets very fidgety and then starts screaming...her way of "talking". She also doesn't want to be fed, but rather demands to do it herself in no uncertain terms. This is not possible in the stroller, for any baby. Anyway, I got a highchair for Kate and Kim asked if Elle could sit in one. I felt the feeling come on in my chest as I said "no". I just want Elle to do what everyone else does. I must have gotten the..."Hmmm...should we try it?" look on my face because Kim said..."do you want to try? I can sit on one side and hold her and you can sit on her other side?" Kim LOVES kids and if anyone of my friends was going to have the patience to try this, it was going to be Kim. Well, needless to say, I put Elle in and tightened the strap as if she were taking off to the moon! I let go of her shoulders and to my amazement she did it!! My little girl was sitting up in the little wooden restaurant high chair like Kate and like every other toddler!! I was so proud of her. I put her food on the table in front of her and she proceeded to self-feed!! Elle has a high chair at home that she sits in, but that is very different than the ones in restaurants. There is no padding, no tray, no support and Elle really had to use her core to keep herself centered. If it wasn't for Kim, who knows when I would have tried to put her in one! I can't explain the feeling I had today, watching my little girl sitting in that high chair, feeding herself with crumbs and food bits all over the floor under her. It felt so normal. I was so excited I picked up every little crumb and food bit off the floor when she was done...because I could!!! Today was truly one of the best days ever!