Week 40 – waving

In a week full of firsts, today Reindeer mastered waving.

We’ve been trying this for a while with limited interest/success on Reindeer’s part. Mostly he ignored us or, more often, gave us a look that clearly said I don’t know what you’re doing but you’d better stop before anyone else sees you! Occasionally he’d flap his hand gently but with no real direction.

This afternoon, having once again been unsuccessful in getting him to wave at Daddy as he went out to work, we went off to the local nature park. As I was getting Reindeer settled into the wrap I became aware that he was doing something with his arm. I was highly amused to see that he’d suddenly perfected his wave and was showing it off to everyone else in the car park! I was duly impressed and waved back at him. So he continued waving at anything that moved for the next 10 minutes. As it was a windy day this amounted to a lot of water, trees and plants as well as people and animals ☺

I now know what it would be like to go on a walkabout with the Queen!

Week 40 – consequences

We buy nappies by the box in our house because there’s a better chance that we won’t run out at an inopportune moment. The theory is that a bigger box will look empty for a few days before there are no nappies left, so there should be time for me to (a) notice this and (b) do something about it.

This morning, I let Reindeer play with one of the empty nappy cardboard boxes. It is pretty big for him to grapple with but he was really fascinated so I thought I’d let him have a play to see how he coped.

He was totally engrossed with it; lifting it, pushing and pulling it, looking into and through it. On a few occasions as he was manhandling it, I noticed that he’d pull an unusual face. He would close his eyes and screw his features up. It took me a minute to realise that he was bracing himself for the box to land on him because he didn’t feel in control of it.

It impressed me a lot because it was evidence that his thought processes and memory have developed another stage. He’s moved from random actions, e.g., moving his arm (is that my arm?) or patting with his hand (is it hard or soft?), to a thought process along the lines of:

1. I want to grab the box with my hand and lift it really high
2. I can remember lifting my bunny really high but I lost my grip and it dropped on my face
3. I feel like I’m losing my grip on this box
4. It might hit my face and I don’t like how that feels so I’ll brace myself

He has developed enough experience and memory to understand, albeit on a basic level, that actions have consequences. Not only that, but he’s developed a little further into the realms of and I can adapt my actions to deal with it. To me this feels like a very big step, although a step which is less obvious than standing or crawling.

Getting to watch Reindeer develop like this is just fascinating, I can’t believe I ever thought child development was dull!

Week 40 – independently mobile

Yesterday morning I followed our usual routine of sitting Reindeer on his play mat whilst I prepared breakfast. As I stirred the porridge I became aware that I was hearing something new.

It was a combination of heavy breathing, patting sounds and the occasional raspberry, and it was getting louder. I looked up just as Reindeer crawled into view by the kitchen door. He saw me and gave a delighted shriek before laughing, clearly chuffed to bits that he’d managed to find me all on his own.

I was torn between being very proud of how far he’d crawled and how happy he was about that, slightly panicky because the kitchen floor needed a wash so I didn’t want him crawling on it and dazed about how on earth to keep him safe and occupied from then on!

A whole new set of challenges are now upon us, but I’m quickly learning to love the sound of Reindeer crawling over to me!

Week 40 – love

Apologies in advance for this sentimental post. In my defence, I have a massive headache and am feeling quite emotional.

This evening, after Reindeer fell asleep in my arms, I kissed his forehead and told him I loved him. I do this every night. For the next few minutes I just sat there cuddling him. He was so relaxed and looked so contented. It got me thinking about love.

Whilst I know that he doesn’t understand the words ‘I love you’, I feel the need to say them out loud to him anyway. I don’t know why. Or rather, I do know why, it just doesn’t make any sense.

I tell him because I’m worried that he won’t know otherwise. One day I won’t be able to tell him that any more and I don’t want him to be in any doubt, when that day comes (hopefully a very long time from now), just how much his mama loves him. Ridiculous, right?

Even at just 9-months though, I think he senses that I love him. Despite being the one who brushes his teeth (which he dislikes), changes his nappy (he hates having to lie still) and tries to get him from bath to feed as quickly as possible (because he’s usually tired and grizzly by this time) he still wants to play with me, have cuddles with me and know where I am. When he’s sad it is my neck he wants to cuddle into. And also my shoulder that he wants to wipe his nose on.

Before Reindeer was born, I had no concept of how strongly I would feel for this new life or how much it would matter to me that this little person loved me back. But it feels and matters more than I can express. It makes me feel vulnerable and afraid – because who knows what the future holds? But it also makes me feel amazingly happy and humble to have Reindeer want this bond with me.

Watching him sleeping in my arms this evening, safe and secure, I think I finally understand what people mean when they say there is no feeling like the love you have for your child.

Week 40 – weaning progress

Like most parents, we began weaning Reindeer just after he turned 6-months-old. It was a pretty daunting experience, but we decided to try baby-led weaning rather than the traditional purée-style weaning.

If I’m being honest, I’m not sure how well this is working for Reindeer. Initially he seemed to take well to the finger foods – he was fine with yam, potato, parsnip, carrot, etc. Now, however, he doesn’t seem to like finger foods unless they’re dry.

Each mealtime I provide him with the ‘adult’ version of the food. Generally speaking though he won’t touch this – just pushes it around and gets annoyed. If I then mash the food a bit (still lumpy but mixed together) he’s much happier and will eat quite a bit.

It puzzles me that he no longer wants a lot of his food presented as finger food. Toast, rice cakes and corn snacks are all fine. Everything else has to be on a spoon. And whilst his spoon technique is good, he hasn’t yet mastered picking up food on one.

We’re continuing regardless, because I don’t want him to get hung up on food or to think that he’s doing something wrong. I try very hard to keep things relaxed and not make a fuss about anything. He’s keen to drink out of a proper cup – he doesn’t want to drink out of the spouted lids, which is stopping him from having a cup of water available at all times.

I very much want him to enjoy having lots of fruit and vegetables. But, at the moment, he won’t have them individually. He ate two raspberries tonight, but only after I added them to yoghurt and put them on a spoon.

Perhaps this is just a normal phase, I don’t know. I’m trying to avoid worrying about this sort of thing, but food is so important and I’m desperate to give him the good habits now that will lead to healthy choices for the rest of his life. As with most things baby, I suspect perseverance is the key here. It worked with crawling; we didn’t push him and just kept giving him space and letting him get on at his own pace. Hopefully that will work here too.

Week 40 – baby group

It is 7-months since we first attended baby group. At that time, Reindeer was the youngest baby there by almost 6-months. He would lie on the floor, taking in the sights and sounds, but not really doing anything.

Now, he is the eldest in the group – the rest of the babies are aged between 5-weeks and 8-months. He’s standing, crawling and grabbing at everything. Squeaking, talking and laughing. He wants to pat the babies on their heads and snatch the toys that make jingling sounds away from them.

Today, the area in which the group meets was cordoned off by furniture. This is to stop toddlers/over-1’s from running over the babies. The 2-year-old child of the group organiser was in the segregated section, playing happily with the more advanced toys. Reindeer was with me, in the baby section. He kept pulling himself to standing on a tray table (part of the barrier) to play with the toys on top. My attention was divided between watching/playing with him, and chatting to the other parents in the group.

I became aware that he was amassing a pile of doughnut-shaped toys by his feet. Toys which I hadn’t noticed on the play table. I decided to watch more closely to see where he was getting them from. What I saw was a small hand appear from under the toy table, deposit another doughnut, then disappear from view. The intrepid 2-year-old had found a way past the blockade and was delivering a supply of these rings to Reindeer, who they clearly felt was being deprived!

Towards the end of the session, the toy-smuggler was sat in the baby section, playing with a mirror-and-jingle toy which Reindeer loves. As soon as he heard it he crawled straight across the room and tried to stand up using their shoulders as he wanted to share the toy with them (or possibly steal the toy from them – I’ve chosen to assume the more socially acceptable motive!). Someone asked me a question and I looked away to answer. When I turned back some 20 seconds later, I could see that Reindeer had left a soggy mouth imprint on their shoulder – the same as he does to me. He is clearly fascinated by this other child who has so much more independence.

I’m hoping that continued interaction with children either side of his age will encourage him with his movement and social skills as well as providing him with some good examples and ideas of how to play.

He’s fast turning from a baby into a little boy. There are exciting times ahead I think!

Week 40 – pushing all the buttons

After a busy day spent swimming in the morning, then getting my car fixed in the afternoon, I decided to give Reindeer some space to just play before dinner tonight.

As I prepared dinner (tomato chicken, potato and broccoli – go me!) I kept an eye on him playing because it is always fun to watch what he’s doing. He gets so engrossed in his play that I really wish I knew what he was thinking!

During his playtime he moved over to the toy washing machine and I watched with amazement as he very carefully and precisely put out his index finger to press one of the two small buttons that make it light up and start the sound. I pretty much shouted HE KNOWS HOW TO PRESS BUTTONS AND WHAT THEY DO I was so excited.

The thing that got me was that he’s suddenly gone from the baby who mashed everything to the baby who knows how to get things to work. I’m feeling slightly nostalgic now – time is flying away from us. He seems to barely enter one stage of development before running on to the next thing without giving me a chance to catch my breath. I’m constantly a step behind. Mostly this is good because he’s exceeding my expectations, but I’m also a little sad because I feel he’s growing up too fast. I suspect that’s a feeling I’m going to have to get used to…

Week 40 – it’s too early for this…

So, after a disturbed evening, I wake to the sound of Reindeer getting agitated.

I check the monitor and immediately spot three things:

1. He’s standing up and therefore not asleep
2. It’s 0430 and he should be asleep
3. It’s 0430 and I should be asleep

I trundle through to his room with as much grace and good humour as I can muster at stupid o’clock, which is more than I would have credited myself with when I wasn’t a parent.

The first course of action was to offer a feed. He was happy with this and, to my great surprise, fell asleep again afterwards. To my utter lack of surprise he woke again as soon as I lay him back in the cot.

His eyes opened, he looked straight at me, and he began clapping.

Clapping.

For days I’ve been working on clapping with him and no dice. Sunday at 0500? Perfect clapping, hands open and everything.

It is both a ‘yay!’ moment and an ‘it’s waaaaay to early for this’ moment.

Parenting. They have you over a barrel and they know it.

Week 40 – full term!

Oh my gosh – Reindeer has now been out and about in the world for the same amount of time as he spent in my womb!

The first 9-months of Reindeer’s life have gone by about ten times as quickly as the 9-months of pregnancy did. We’ve gone from trying to wrap our heads around the idea of Reindeer, to a crawling, standing, cruising, talking, laughing, cuddling bundle of funny loveliness. And I wouldn’t change him for anything.

As I write he’s testing the stair gate to see if it will let him up the stairs…