Fiona and the lemon

            The sight of exploration and discovery in a 7-month-old infant is mesmerizing. Fiona’s sensory receptors are working at top speed – so many new sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures. Some elicit intakes of breath, squeaks and high decibel coos of wonder – dogs, peonies in full bloom, seagulls flying past. Her little fingers touch pavement, polished bronze, bark, grass, sea stones, ice, and in her face you see the workings of her highly absorbent brain, taking it all in.
            Of course, “taking it all in” is largely performed by mouth. Fiona gamely takes food offerings from her parents’ fingertips. The scene recalls a baby bird reaching up to Mama bird. Today, Nellie gave Fiona a lemon slice. Not all explorations lead to delight, but that’s part of this magnificent journey. How else will those elaborate facial muscles learn to communicate delight and disgust so exquisitely?
 
My 60th year in 60,000 words
Day 295: 143 words, TOTAL = 48,977; 11,023 remaining