Son, I want you to know how things are at this point in your life. It’s more a snapshot of now, rather than a recap of the past, which could honestly fill a book. For fellow dads, I’ve provided links to recommended products and parenthetical tips throughout.
The one thought that persists in your parents’ minds and is shared at least once a day:
You are the most beautiful, smart and ridiculously manipulative (without ill intent) creature we’ve ever met and we couldn’t love anything else in this world more.
Of chompers and chomp-ees
One of your teeth just broke through, after you endured a good two to three months of annoyance and pain. (Dads, get the Sophie giraffe or any rubber teething toy for pain relief. The white part of green onion stalks will do just as well in a pinch.)
Since month four, you’ve been noticing food outside of your mother’s breast milk. Well, actually you stare with equal parts craving, wonder and incredulity. As if sacred mana came to us from above and we’re spitefully not sharing it with you.
So, guilt-stricken but excited, we’ve started feeding you a range of fruits and sweet potatoes, even some yogurt. You love it all as long as you have absolute control of the spoon and also have most of the food in your hands and on your face; otherwise we get a very stern yelling at. (This is an excellent and thorough article about what foods to try and when).
By the by, you do this shake when you’re pooping; it’s the funniest thing on the face of the planet.
The Many Modes of Transportation
You mastered crawling over the past month and it has evolved into climbing, hence our need to lower your crib mattress and playpen. Your mom and I had a nice laugh when my weekly email from Baby Center (Great resource with a wealth of information and great apps) stated: “it won’t take long for your baby to figure out how to maneuver on all fours. Soon, between 7 and 10 months, he’ll be crawling!”
Habibi, if there’s one thing you need to know about yourself since, not just your birth, but your conception (yup, your father just said conception to you. Enjoy that!): your mind and spirit has always been a good two weeks to two months ahead of the rest of you. Your body is constantly catching up with your desires and intuition.
You have no intention of learning how to sit unassisted. It’s not about not being capable, but more that it’s a stationary position, and one core value you have is: always keep moving. You’re like a shark that views sitting still as a position of weakness.
We’ve introduced you to a regular stroller (The Nighlight has some decent recommendations) and you’ve been loving it, once we realized you needed to be facing outwards and not towards us. You’re sick of seeing our faces, but your curiosity about the outside world is insatiable.
Your car seat (other recommendations) is a different story. If ever you had a nemesis, it would be that damn seat, keeping you immobile and staring at the ceiling like some prisoner in solitary confinement.
Summing Up
Buddy, you’re exhausting, demanding, opinionated, and short-tempered and you can turn on and off your waterworks/vocal pipes faster than you can breathe. But, every night when your mom and I have dinner and share our gratitudes, you are always the subject of our favorite moment of the day.
I’ll probably give another check-in on your birthday. I love you, I cherish you and I have no idea what to do with you. I know you’ll show us though!