June 10, 2007: Lazy Father's Development Notebook
Comprised of notes I've been taking for the last six months but never had the dedication to write up:
- Up until about nine months, Ivan was kind of sweaty, but his sweat wasn't one of those nice baby smells but closer to slightly spoiled milk. That has thankfully passed.
- His baby scream could pierce eardrums at a distance of six feet. This has also mostly passed, in favor of persistent yelling ("Mamaaaa! Mamaaaa!").
- He has always loved music and since he could move, he's been attempting to move to the music: first it was flapping the arms, then a kind of spastic bouncing to the point of losing his balance, and lately he started some kind of duck-like squatting (like "The Rooster" by OutKast maybe?). Both of our children seem destined for "So You Think You Can Dance".
- At about ten months, he could be held from walking no longer. Since then he's progressed to climbing onto or up everything and even recently started trying to run with Veronika, giggling wildly all the while. He continues to be as physical as ever and watching his development is both fascinating and terrifying. Next summer he will begin training for his first Ironman triathlon.
- Also around ten months, we had our first good night together. He was there waiting for me at the baby gate when I came home and walked into my arms. He smiled at me through dinner and had a blast splashing the the tub with Noni. Next was naked time, a nightly favorite, including a few rounds of peekaboo and some pretend lion-chasing. After giving him his bottle, he nuzzled his nose into my neck and fell asleep. This is all pretty standard fare now but it was a first then and a big deal since it had been all Mama up to that point. I felt a strong connection from him for the first time, like he had really accepted me as a tenable option for a parent. Let's put it this way, it had enough of an effect on me that I wrote it down.
- Speaking of his mama, Ivan is a total mama's boy. Like all children, Mama was the only thing in his life for the first few months but he held on to that connection longer and tighter than Veronika did. He's come a long way in the last five months in letting more people into his life (including me, see above) but there will never be anyone like his mother. (As it should be, I suppose.)
- Along with every other stereotypical boy trait that he's developed to our surprise, his favorite toy is any kind of ball—soccer ball, tennis ball, racquetball... ball, any kind of ball. He loves throwing them, fetching them, carrying them, catching them, even watching other people play basketball or soccer. You should hear the excitement in his voice when he discovers one: "BALL!"
- And finally, Ivan is a lover. He loves to give hugs and kisses to his family, his toys and his books. His kisses have always been so sweet—they used to be an open mouth and a lean but have progressed into pursed lips, and a sound like "Buh" (for "Bussi," German for kiss).
But no matter how he's expressed it, love has always been the answer. For example: when we're playing the aforementioned game where I pretend to be a lion/monster and chase him, he backs away smiling for a bit, then approaches me, the monster, gives me a kiss on the lips and a hug. If only he could carry that attitude through his whole life.
Posted by papa at 12:18 AM