My little Espresso turned 1 a couple weeks ago. Unlike most parents, I didn't think the first year flew by too fast. There were times I thought it was dragging on incredibly slow. I think that could have been due in part to my anticipation of my Espresso reaching certain milestones, which he did not reach in a "normal" time frame.
My hubby and I were discussing last night, after our Espresso FINALLY had his first tooth come in, that since about the 6th month, our son has been on his own time table with development and milestones. He took a LONG time to crawl, his first tooth did not come in within his first year, and he has no real interest in pulling up or even standing (even if we hold him), while so many other babies are walking, or at least pulling up and/or cruising, by their first birthday.
What I have noticed about my Espresso is that he seems MUCH more mentally aware, alert, cognizant and perceptive than many other babies his age. Perhaps I'm just a proud, biased parent, but when we compare his mental abilities and alertness with other babies his age, our Espresso surpasses them all. If I am in the room with my Espresso, it is impossible for me to sneak out of the room, sneak in the room or sneak anything by him. When he casts glances in my direction, it doesn't take very long for the little neurons to connect in his brain - he knows something is going on and all eyes are on me or what I'm trying to "sneak" by him. He notices new things almost instantaneously. We don't have to wait for him to find it. When we enter a room, his eyes are always scanning the room and he'll find that "new thing" within seconds. Today while we were at the park, there were two identical twin boys dressed the same. I watched my Espresso try to figure out how there were two of them. He kept looking back and forth between the boys. I think he finally figured it out, but he never took his eyes off those boys. He could have cared less about swinging (something he loves). Instead, he was more interested in the boys playing around him.
Now that the weather is warm, we go on walks, sometimes several in a day. Once again, our Espresso scans the world around him. He reaches out his hand to touch plants, notices street signs and wants to see what is on them, and is captivated by trees (trees have done that to him since he was 2 months old). When he spots another walker, he starts to wave even if they are over a block away. Unfortunately, most of the time, they do not see him, so he doesn't get a wave back. In stores, I think his arm is going to fall off he waves so much and will have the strongest cheek muscles from smiling at everyone who walks by. He also watches with incredible perception and curiosity everything I put in the shopping cart. He does not take his eyes off the item. When he recognizes his Cheerio box or some other treat I buy for him, he starts to reach for it, which I then have to let him hold it, until he sees something else more interesting he'd like to hold and tosses the whatever it is he's holding on to the floor.
His curiosity level is amazing. We see no point in buying toys. Our Espresso is interested in everything in this house and ends up playing with nightlights to coasters rather than his own toys. The other day, our Espresso escaped beyond the gate into the hallway to his room. In that hallway is a nightlight that helps us find our way to his room, if our son should wake up in the middle of the night. (Thankfully, that has come to an end!) Our little Espresso saw that nightlight and immediately made a b-line for it. Of course, he pulled it off and chewed on it a few times, but what surprised my hubby and I is that he tried to put it back in, and almost (coordination still a bit weak) was able to do so.
While our little Espresso doesn't have many words in his vocabulary, the one word he uses the most is "touch." And he wants to "touch" everything - particularly electronics. He knows those buttons do things and it's his goal to figure out what.
I like that he is (always been) curious about the world around him. I do hope he stays this way.
2 comments:
I don't know if E's doctor has told you this, but ours said that the "mental" things are much more important than "physical". When you look at an older child that is very smart, they didn't follow the milestones that we all set for them! No need to worry about walking at all!! It is funny how true the little comment that you spend the first couple years teaching them to walk and talk and the rest of their lives telling them to sit down and shut up!!! Not that I tell B to shut up but just be quiet!!! Hehe!!
No, we are not too worried about his lack of interest in walking. He sees no need for it right now. I think Eric's parents are a bit more antsy about walking than we are, but he'll get there - eventually.
I have told Eric many times that Ethan will probably be one of those kids that one days decides to get up and walk and one day he'll just start talking full sentences. That's ok with me...as long as those teeth keep coming in! :)
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