New Discoveries

I think my plan worked! I brought Eli to the older 'babies' Mom & Me meeting this week for the first time. (We missed all of last month due to swimming.) He was a pretty fussy since he's been working overtime to pop another tooth or two through his gums (no success yet). I was eager to bring him to the group in the hopes that he might pick up some pointers from the older, more mobile, babies. At the very least, hopefully he'd be shamed into rolling from his stomach to his back. Still no change on that front, but he was doing a bit of an inchworm this morning; more than he's ever done before! I had him on the floor in the guest room as I was tending to my email and he rolled onto his stomach and started playing. As usual, I look down and play with him every few moments and after 3 or 4 interactions I noticed him sticking his butt WAY up in the air. Almost to the point that he was standing on his feet (down-dog for fellow yogis out there). Looks like someone is practicing for his next meeting with the older kids....

Eli is becoming very aware that he can control what happens to his body, his face, his mouth, etc. He knows he has hands and he knows they can exert force! This week he's made it impossible to feed him, give him a sippy cup, take his temperature, change his diaper, clothe him...whatever he doesn't want, basically. The struggle begins.....

As I type, Eli is peacefully sleeping in his crib, like the angel he is. The poor guy has had a rough week; not much sleep and not many solids. (This teething stuff is hard work!!) He woke up from a full 12-hour slumber this morning in a great mood though, and he happily ate every bit of his breakfast (and lunch, which I gave him this morning because he still seemed hungry after his oatmeal). We started zucchini and papaya this week, both of which he seemed weary of in the beginning, but he appears to be coming around.