Well, Lindsay, I'm a 45 year old guy who just started lessons too. I've got the opposite problem. My hands are big, and it's hard to fret just one string without muting the ones next to it. Arching the fingers properly for some of the hand-buster chords is a problem for me, too. I've had to come up with alternative fingerings for a couple that I just couldn't reach the way I was shown. Maybe if I'd started younger...

My 13 year old boy started way ahead of me (about the beginning of December) and can play rings around me!

I'm really digging learning music theory. Suddenly a great light has dawned on me: You don't have to have some mysterious intuition as to "what sounds good" to improvise a solo, accompany someone or compose a tune. You just have to learn some basic rules and practice lots! Wow! :)

Keep it up and have fun!

John