The Lesson, Pt. 2

WHEW.

The past 4.5+ months have just flown by.

Little buggy boy is growing and learning so fast, every day seems like a new accomplishment.

Successes:

taking a bottle! this was harder than we expected, I think, but a solid step towards equality for mom & dad in different ways. feeding time for Des allows for a lot of bonding between the boys; confidence for dad in his ability to take care of the little guy. mom gets more free time without worry.

getting into a routine. despite the past few weeks, when I was working remotely on this exhibition that opened last Friday, he has established a good routine of waking early, going to bed around dinner time, taking a few naps during the day and just generally seeming like he feels more "organized" about what the day will bring.

going to sleep on his own. granted, this has only happened once (last Saturday) and I don't think it has to happen every night, but it is reassuring to know that he trusts us and isn't scared of being alone. Night time can be scary for kids and we've tried to make it a welcome time of the evening.

teething! so far, so good. we first noticed the lower right tooth coming in a few weeks ago and much to our surprise, he seems to know how to "self-soothe" by using his hand or toys (or dad's finger) to chew away the discomfort. so far he hasn't been too fussy even though tooth pain can be pretty hard for some kids.

increased neck control. it probably sounds like a strange accomplishment, but it effects so many other things he wants to do like being face-front in the bjorn, attempting to stand (he loves this now), and sitting up. Des can be a willful little guy and you can just see him wanting to do new things, especially when he sees his cousin Henry doing them. It's amazing how much control he has over his body these days.

touching his toes. speaking of body control... this one is pretty awesome. he's got grabbing his left foot with his left hand down and started switching it up and grabbing the right foot with the left hand; still perfecting both at the same time.

laughing!!! I have perhaps never heard a better sound in all my life. just yesterday Tim was changing his outfit on the changing table and I kissed him on his chest near his armpit when all of a sudden this giggle burst out of him. he looked as surprised as we did! I got him to do it four more times, and then again later in the day when I would lift him above my head and bring him to my face going "bbbbb" and kissing his neck. it felt like winning the lottery. seriously the best thing ever.

socializing. we meet with my parents & sister, her husband, & Henry at least once a week. usually we go to a restaurant or someone's house and up until recently Des typically either just tunes out (sleeps in the nearest nook) or requires more attention/nursing/changing etc. than usual. that is fine and of course I don't mind tending to any of his needs, but it seems like a big accomplishment that he's more engaged and low-maintenance when we leave the house. it seems like he really trusts us now and wants to be part of the group.

standing. well, at least attempting to stand. this is his new favorite trick. he stands on my legs and boosts himself up while I hold him from the torso. he saw Henry standing the other week at the pool and I think it really got him interested. I did not initiate this whatsoever, as with most things in Desi's world, I just follow his lead.

I'm sure I could think of even more things, but it's taken me almost 2 days to have enough time to write this all up, so I need a break. One of the many lessons Des is teaching me is to "unplug" and just live. Being in the moment with him is a wonderful alternative.

Love to you all and hope everyone is well.