Last Friday marked Remy’s official 11 months of living since birth, so it’s a good opportunity for a status update. Little man’s personality is popping out all over the place. Most notably, his insistence on doing as many grown up things himself. Without help.
Now, he’s been swatting Mom’s and Dad’s assists away for a while now, so we’ve known about his penchant for control for a while, but his continually improving motor skills have served to amplify the trait. That’s right, Mom and Dad. Don’t just hand me a cornflake, let me reach in the container and get one and close the lid myself. If not, you’ll get the fake whiney cry.
Then there’s dinner time. We can hold him off from a state of pure bedlam for a few minutes by offering him a baby spoon to swing around in a calulatedly chaotic manner around pieces of food on his high chair tray, but he’d better get his chance to practice spearing Mom’s or Dad’s food with Mom’s or Dad’s fork. He sees us eat that way so by golly he’s gonna tantrum his way into daily opportunities to develop that skill himself. The fork also makes a “neat” sound when it’s banged against the ceramic plate.
We could also use a small tarp to place under his high chair. Other than signing “all done”, his other signal for being done with the high chair scene is to drop food on the floor from various vantage points. He did, by the way, learn how to sign “all done” within a week or two of my teaching it to him on a daily basis. Now he’s a real pro at it. He seems to be “all done” with something or other very, very often.
Another new trick is the finger in the nose. His 4 year old cousin Julia takes credit for teaching him that, but I think he was starting to do that a few days before we visited the in laws. It’s not that big of a leap from finger in mouth to finger in nostril. After all, he’s been trying to stick his fingers in my nostrils (and mouth) while we feed for at least a month or so now. That and pinching my nose, grabbing my arms and just being a squirmy little bug in general. If I get to choose between baby fingers in my nose vs. baby fingers in his nose, I’d choose to keep my nostrils finger free please.
Another thing that he thinks he can do himself is go down stairs. Daddy Gary’s been trying to teach him to go backwards– feet first– and he can do that. He’s even let himself down off the bed that way several times. H0wever, he doesn’t see Mom or Dad go down the stairs backwards, so why should he? So we grab his hands as he “walks” down the stairs one walking step per stairstep, which is a fine trick with the stubby little legs he’s got.
Stubby legs or not, he’s getting pretty fast on his feet. We’re to a stage between speed walking and running in short bursts, generally following by a plop onto the ground. Outdoors, he’s discovered downhills and what they can do for his speed. Again, staying upright is still a challenge, but it’s like you hear mountain bikers say, “if you don’t crash, you aren’t trying hard enough.”
Remy’s trying, there’s no doubt about that.
That’s awesome. So much of that sounds familiar, although Zach hasn’t discovered sticking his finger in his nose. I think I can wait on that developmental milestone.