Weirdling Files: April 2013

By Dad

I've fallen so far behind again! Crap.
Roland gets bigger and more people-like by the day. It seems like every day he's learning something new. I hate to say he's got new tricks, because he's not a puppy, so instead I'll say that connections in his brain are happening more and more rapidly.
Our little Cannonball interacts and plays better now than he has every before. He really can focus on things, he plays with some toys, and he looks for us. Especially his mom. He loves looking for mom. If I'm holding him and he hears her voice I'm chopped liver. "What? What was that? I heard mom. Where is she? There she is!" *huge smile* Little punker.
We've been doing a ton of tummy time with him and in the last few days he's figured out how to get his hands in front of him. He's been fine on his tummy but he used to put his arms straight back to his sides like he was flying. Woosh! He was holding his head up but all the strain was in his neck and back. Mom and I have been showing him to put his arms in front of himself under his chest and I don't know if he learned it from us or put it together for himself but now that's pretty much his default position. This is a change that's happen in just the last few days. Now he can post up and look around even further for mom's voice. His legs still kick like crazy while he's doing it.
Kid never holds still. If he's awake he's being a wiggle worm. Always with the kicking and squirming and the waving of arms. I swear as soon as he figures out how to walk he's going to be going until he passes out from exhaustion. I told Angela a few days ago we need to get him a house with a yard and a dog ASAP. Kid will be unstoppable.
Grandpa Tim and Grandma Bev came to visit for a few days and it was great. Roland is better and better at playing and I don't think I held him for more than five minutes the whole time they were here. He's now met all the grandparents and they all agree he is the best baby ever. Yes, he's better than yours. I'm telling you, we had him tested. It's true. Science Facts!
While Grandpa and Grandma were here we did the Looney Lagoon Five Mile Fun Run. For a full report of how that went click on this link. Roland did fantastic the whole time. Baby's first race. Well, as an outside baby. Angela did the Diva Half Marathon the day after she tested positive. Guess there is a reason he's such an active baby.
I took one day off work to spend at home, and we had the weekend, so it was a fun, if short visit with the grandparents. Roland is a great baby and he played a lot. They brought him a ton of clothes and bought a sitting play thing, which he doesn't seem to have too much of an opinion on yet. He's too short to reach the ground so we have a cooking tin under it that he can stand on. As he gets better at controlling his hands he'll enjoy it more.
Hands are in his mouth. We are deep into the Everything Into My Mouth phase now. He's got enough control of those motor functions. He's a slobber monster now. Just drool everywhere. Soaked bibs.
He had his four month shots while the grandparents were here and he took them better than Grandpa Tim did. Just like last time he was fine, happy, chirping, mom held his hands and the lady gove him the three shots bam bam bam. Face immediately goes bright red and SCREAM. But only for a few minutes. He's a trooper and once the shock and pain wears off he's ok. Just like the last time he slept for pretty much the next 36 hours. Vaccines knock him out.
He gets better and better at rolling himself over and getting his head up. He's constantly chatting away too. I don't know if this predicts the future but if it does the kids will never stop talking. We can lie him on his mat and he'll look up at his giraffe and talk talk talk. Even when he starts to get upset it begins as a scowl and grumper noises. He grumbles. He's going to walk around grumbling to himself. He's going to be his father.
I'm staggered at how much like a people he already is. He looks at me and gives the hugest smile and my whole brain stops working right. He smiles with his whole body- hands out, feet stomp, body wiggle. I can be holding him facing outward and when his mom walks in the room I can feel him smile. It's crazy. He's so expressive. No small movements, only big ones. His cheeks get so big when he smiles his eyes turn into half-moons.
Roland also got to see his first whales. We were driving back from the North Shore with the grandparents when Mom's superpower pinged. She spotted a whale breaching on the horizon and we stopped the car so Grandpa wouldn't crash trying to look. There were probably two or three whales out there, breaching fully out of the water and generally splashing about. It was very cool.
He's got a favorite blanket. Or maybe it's just the blanket we give to him the most often. Blankets get gripped and put straight into his mouth. Big smile. Eyes bright. Nom nom nom.
He scares the hell out of me. Every day it feels like my heart is going to burst and I panic thinking about his future, our future, any little thing. I'm sure it's a normal dad thing but I don't know how to handle how he makes me feel sometimes. It's nuts. And Angela continues to be amazing, just the best mom. Little Cannonball is so lucky.