July 20, 2006
Letters to the O
Six Months
The house has been filled with your infectious, breathless giggling this month. Your Daddy and I have spent long hours enthralled with making you laugh, willing to do all manner of ridiculous and humilating things just to illicit that uncontrollable spasm of giggling and shrieking. This month you seem to prefer animal sounds- the sillier the better. Favorites include anything ending in oo- "moo," Whoo-whoo," and "Cockle Doodle Doo" all get an immediate, delighted response. You've also become enormously ticklish, especially under your armpits, and even the threat of tickling fingers in your vicinty sends you off into peals of shrieking laughter.
We've begun to feed you real food- mainly just cereal so far. You are the most vocal eater, constantly making all sorts of grunts and throaty protests as you obligingly open your mouth so I can shovel more in. When I don't put enough breastmilk to sweeten up your cereal, you make faces and gag as if I am the worst sort of mother and I've just fed you your own feces. Your protesting cries, in fact, have become as loud in the house as your laughter and you are quick to sound the alarm of personal dissatisfaction everytime I dare to turn a corner beyond your line of sight. Your mommy attachment has become so severe and dehabilitating that Daddy is concerned for your future manhood. When he holds you, you reach your hands out to me and make pathetic little mewing cries that can only be quenched by immediate mommy contact or a verse of "Old McDonald had a Farm." You've even learned to hide your satisfied smirk when you've gotten your way into the shadow of my shoulder, but I've noticed and begun to deny you small things in an effort to build your patience and decrease your stubborn will. Life sucks, kid. And I can make it suck harder. Get used to it.
Perhaps your increasing demands have to do with those tiny little teeth that are painfully pushing on your tender gums. You've begun the first stages of teething and seem to edge on irrational breakdown at the drop of a hat. It's disrupted your nighttime sleep and sent me into my own fog of irritability. I've resorted to the monsterous poison of television to get through a daily shower without paniced screams. You're enthralled with Blues Clues and when I hum the "Goodbye" song you smile happily in recognition. God damn TV. It's just too easy.
While last month you could be trusted to sit up propped on a pillow for a reasonable amount of time, you can now sit independently for several minutes. We've made a game of it by sitting you in the middle of the bed and counting until you fall over. This is what we play when I'm getting dressed or folding laundry and when you fall over you squeal and rub your face into the sheets and wait fo rme to come and prop you up again. You hold onto your toes for leverage and have even begun to suck your big toe from this position, a habit which must certainly be your father's fault since he's from Kentucky.
You also amuse me with your impression of what I call "Darth Baby." You make these throaty, husky gurgles in the back of your throat while scrunching your eyebrows together. Perhaps you're trying to imitate the deeper tones of adult conversation, but I find it hilariously endearing. One of the other endearing things I've noticed about you this month is your walking stride. You always start with your left foot and bring it back to center and then take a right step, as if you were a tiny Buckingham Palace soldier and your life depended on the straight-legged percision of your baby steps.
For all the small quirks and irritabilities that have popped into being this month, you remain easy to please. In the middle of the night, when uncomfortable or frightened, I only have to scoop you up from your crib and let you nuzzle into the crook of my neck. The tears immediate cease and you sigh and snuggle your head in closer as if you've found your way home. And I stand there with you for long moments, half asleep, loving that small gesture of yours in the middle of the night.
Posted by Kaz at July 20, 2006 4:14 PM