Tummy Time with Christopher, 4.5 months old.

Wednesday, 17 September 2008

Tummy Time with Christopher, 4.5 months old.
Well, Christopher is exactly at the 4 and a half month mark.

He’s half the height of Kat King, our friend below, and he’s heavier than his buddy Grayson, who is turning one year old come October. (yikes!)

Now he’s really bringing on the social smiling, laughing aloud when Daddy throws him in the air or blows raspberries on his tummy. Chris also started reaching for toys on his own—to immediately stick into his mouth. So far he’s licked three pages of his “Where’s Spot?” book, a Compassion Today magazine picture, and many many fuzzy stuffed animals. I don’t know how much lint is gathering in his system, but a hairball is forthcoming, whether throughthe front or the bottom. =C

He’s also learning to jump in his JOlly Jumper on his own, without needing an adult to hold his hands to get going. It’s really cute, because we put on some fun African music or “Take the Lead” soundtrack, adn we bounce together while I do the dishes. It’s feels satisfying, somehow, to know he’s doing something that doesn’t involve lying on his back. He’s sitting up in his bumbo chair once in a while, (that’s one more thing he does off his back), but it’s a tight squeeze, and for some reason he tends to poop while sitting in there. Maybe this means toilet training will come naturally for him. =b

So a day in the life of Mini Lim involves having breakfast with Regis and Kelly’s voice babbling on in the background, then a little relaxing in his rocking chair while watching Mom make her breakfast. After that, it’s some play gym time, some jumping time, and then p erhaps a walk through the neighbourhood in the stroller. These activities are usually punctuated by a diaper change at the beginning or the end.

All of this sounds so mundane, and yet it takes loads of time to get through them.

So last week, for the first time, christopher went to the zoo!! He saw the ducks and the sheep and goats make their noises. In REAL LIFE. We’ve been making hte noises and looking at pictures of animals in books adn flashcards, but never has it happened for REALZ. It was probably more fun for Mom, but whatever.

If you ever go to the zoo on a weekday, it’s 98% filled with people with STROLLERS. IT’s all moms or dads walking around! IT’s nuts! When you line up for snacks, it’s behind mothers with toddlers. When you walk towards Boris the tiger, it’s beside parents with strollers. When you stroll past the washroom, you onnly hear children’s voices! It’s insane! If you wonder where all the parents are: at the zoo! They are part of the attraction! (that and all the malls.)

Notice the people in the background? Stroller.

Other milestones for Chris:

a) losing hair …in clumps. IN the mornings he’s got hair all over his mattress from where he’s been rubbing his head all night.

b) still fighting eczema. Be brave, little derma-warrior.

c) drooley, drooley, drooly.

d) wearing 6-12 month or 9 month clothing.

e) starting to show anxiety when not being held by Mom. Jon and I are determined to get him trained up to be held by anyone, anywhere.

f) tummy time is still a struggle, but he can stay on his tummy for about 10 minutes…..

Being a parent and watching a child struggle with something he really hates makes me want to help him out of that discomfort immediately. When he struggles with tummy time, his face wedged into the blankets, his face rubbing left and right, his piteous cries echoing through the house, I struggle with not rescuing him. “Just leave him and let him learn,” says Jon, but I’m a hoverer. I hover left and right. But in the end, I know it’s good for him, and that the more tummy time he gets, the more good development that happens for him.

It’s the same with being babysat by different people. We realize that though the first few times may be hellish (for the babysitter, really) b/c Chris will cry and scream without his parents nearby, it’s worth it in the end, because he’ll get used to it and calm down the next time. There’s always that initial battle against unfamiliarity and discomfort to get to the good stuff, the part where confidence and serenity occur. Already I’m beginning to notice Chris spending time on his tum with a much calmer demeanour.

It’s been the same lesson again and again with parenting! I wonder what the next big battle will be!