general-purpose update

I haven't blogged in awhile about the boy. He is developing fast, so I have a lot cover.

Mobility
David can get where ever he wants by sckooching on his tummy like that plastic soldier crawling on the ground with the rifle in his hand. If you squint, you can almost see the barbed wire over his head. This mobility means lots of new things to explore, like my books, and he tries to follow the dogs around. It also means a greater understanding of possession. Not only does the thing in his hand belong to him, so does anything he sees that he may be able to get to. When he is prevented, he gets really irate. For instance, while sitting in my lap, he gets ticked off when he can't have my plate or my glass.

Dexterity
His extended index finger is the body part of the day. It is now the first thing that he uses to explore new objects (the second is still his mouth). He can switch the lightswitch off and play with the various knobs and levers on a toy we borrowed from a friend. As mentioned before, he can stand himself up in his crib, but not really anything else yet.

Food
He eats all of the strained vegetables and applesause. We are working on solid foods, but he doesn't quite have the hang of it. Cheerios are the only thing in the world he will NOT put in his mouth. During his meals I give him a small bowl with the Cheerios in it. He grabs handfulls and flings them around as the dogs gather under the highchair. He will get a bunch of them on his tray and slam his hand down to watch them jump around. He will take his index finger and press down on one until it shoots out onto the floor. I will sneak one into his mouth occationally. He keeps up his playing but gets a perturbed look on his face while he moves his jaw around. After several seconds, a mushy Cheerio will work its way through his lips into his lap. Occationally, it goes the other way until he gags and throws up. Sometimes, it stays put until it disolves enough to be swallowed. Bits of teething biscuit, zwieback toast, and communion bread meet the same fate.

Teeth
One upper tooth broke through yesterday.

Talking
He has a word--"Mamamamama," but it doesn't mean the same thing to him that it means to you. It is the sound he makes when he is upset and we don't stop doing whatever is upsetting him, such as changing his clothes. He is very consistant about saying it at these distressed times, and only then. To him, this sound has meaning--the definition of "word." As a word, it is sort of redundant since we can gather that he is upset from the crying and thrashing.

Sleeping
He still is waking twice during the night for a substancial meal. I look forward to an uninterupted night's sleep like the end of a drought.

General charming demeanor
He is still cute as a whip. He smiles and laughs, babbles, plays and shows genuine interest in you. His bright eyes garner a constant stream of compliments when we are in public. As long as his diaper has been changed, he thinks win/win. He seeks first to understand; he synergizes. In short, he is becoming a highly effective baby.