Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

This past month has been filled with exciting milestones for Will. While he's still a bit challenged in terms of crawling forward, he is an expert and moving backwards on all fours and manages to otherwise move around the room with surprising speed. He also figured out how to transition from crawling or being on his stomach back to a sitting position, and vice-versa. Midway through the transition, he shows off what appears to be a "side plank" move, where he faces sideways and holds his torso off the floor. Mom and Dad attempted this move while attending our first (and probably only) Pilates class a few weeks ago. Needless to say, Will is much better at it. He sometimes even holds his top arm up and open and closes his fingers with glee while showing off this move, the closest thing he'll get to saying "Nanny nanny boo boo!" for some time to come.

Clapping has also become a mainstay in Will's daytime and evening routine. Just about everything deserves a round of applause, if even just a few claps, if you ask Will. Waking up, falling asleep, looking around for his bottle, eating (before and after), a diaper change, general playtime, a ride in the car - you name it, it's worthy of some applause. It makes for a very positive day, what with all the complementary singing of If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands!

Last but not least, he figured out how to pull himself up to standing on his crib rail a few nights ago. Dad had caught him making a practice run the night before, and he showed the real-deal to his nanny the next afternoon. So the crib mattress has been moved down to the lowest setting, and now resembles a toddler bed. Our little baby is growing up!

Along with these milestones forward comes some regression in the sleep department. Apparently babies have so much practicing to do that they frequently find themselves too excited to sleep, yet too tired to function like the happy babies they once were just a few weeks before (despite all the clapping). As for us, we have been reminded once again why sleep deprivation is a form of torture.

Compounding Will's challenges in the sleep department and his eagerness to practice his new skills is Major Cold #2. While it didn't get to pneumonia this time and he's on the mend, after a 1AM drive with Dad last night to finally get to sleep and crying for nearly three hours straight this morning, Mom decided that this qualified as an example of a change in "temperament" that pediatricians always tell parents to look for in their kids, in lieu of more clear-cut symptoms (in fact, when sick, Will is usually a remarkably happy baby). Of course, by the time we got to the doctor's office this morning, he was calm and smiling. Cherubic, really. The doctor was very nice about it and commented that a side effect of Will's cold medicine can be restlessness and crankiness, but I still felt like I was getting the "Yeah, lady, I know you said that your car is making a clicking noise, but I drove it for 20 miles and didn't hear a thing" look that you get at the mechanic shop, even though I explained that this was not the same child that I called in about an hour before. I think next time I'll just pretend to take him to the doctor and see what happens.

Mom will be posting photos of all the action soon, after she gets some sleep!