It's Time for a Will Update

William will soon be 6 months old. SIX MONTHS! WOW! I periodically look back at all his newborn pictures and sigh. I remember when his knees and elbows were wrinkly because of extra skin and no chub. His ear lobes were flat the day he was born. Sean and I remarked about how much they resembled Sean's lobes. They very quickly curled and now they are more like mine. His hands and feet looked so huge in comparison to his body. Many said of his long fingers: "you'll play the violin!" Now they're smaller (by comparison) and chubbier. He has knuckle dimples. Love the knuckle dimples! He hasn't lost his serious face. One of the nurses in the hospital told him that he was too young to have the cares of the world on his shoulders when he was only a few hours old. He had deep wrinkles that traversed his whole forehead from temple to temple as he surveyed the cold, light world into which he had been born. Now he surveys his world with a scowl that can't hold up against mommy's funny faces. It's not hard to get this child laugh. Lately he is highly amused by my lip-smacking. This morning we laid together on his bedroom floor smacking our lips at each other. Cheap entertainment, and yet, so very priceless. His neck is his ticklish spot, I only have to lightly tap it with my fingers - like I'm typing and he dissolves into hearty, guttural giggles. His changing table is still his favorite spot. If he's crabby, all I have to do is to take him up to change his diaper. He smiles and the arms and legs start flapping - much like a baby penguin. I'm rather worried that he might crack his heals as he lays on the floor and kicks his legs. We have hardwood floors and not much padding under the few area rugs. He lays looking at the ceiling and kicks-kicks-kicks. He never seems bothered too much though.

Sitting up by myself!

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Will is also sitting up now. I won't dare leave him sitting up and walk away because he's still rather wobbly and top heavy. (Sean says "rather?" It is nice now to be able to sit on the floor with him sitting up and read a book together. It frees up my hands to hold things when I don't have to hold him too.

All the developmental charts list "regarding of the hand" as one of the developmental events. I never did see him regard his own hand, as in looking at it. We have noticed him regarding his boyhood with his hands quite a bit. Whenever he is naked his hands go exploring. I don't know if this is a boy thing or a baby thing. It becomes tricky to change a messy diaper and get him clean while keeping his hands away. I wonder if he gets itchy because in the bath he doesn't splash, he just scratches his tummy and groin area to the point where he gets very red. Last night I tried, with partial success, to distract those busy hands with a rubber duck. Maybe I make his diaper too tight so his waist area gets itchy? I don't know. But Sean always reassures him that he's still a boy and his parts will still be there in the morning.

This week naps are going much more easily and have been more regular. Bed time has been a breeze. Hopefully I'm not jinxing myself. He likes rice cereal, bananas and pears. We tried avocado and much retching and spitting ensued. He's still uncertain about peas. As long as they're warm he isn't bothered too much by them. Despite the promises that once solids start the spitting up will decrease, he still seems to loose entire meals all over me. He doesn't like nursing much these days. I'm hoping that's just a phase.

He's beginning to notice our dog. He looks at Libby and smiles. Last week he got a handful of hair and yanked. The good news is that he still has his hand. The bad news is that she quickly turned around with teeth barred - but when she realized it was him, she only "gummed" his hand. If it had been Sean or me, she might not have let us off so easily.