Mom weighs in
These days whenever Oliver does something new, Chad and I fight our who gets to write about it for the blog. Since I’m now writing for babygadget.net (a children’s design blog) as well as keeping my personal journal, I usually let Chad take on Olieland updates. He’s so good at it anyways. But some of Olie’s advances have been so amazing that I feel compelled to tell my side of the story too. And fortunately there are enough milestones to go around.
Below are some recent excerpts from my journal:
9/28/06
HE WALKS!!!!!!!! Oliver and I went to Walnut Hill’s Board of Visitors Day today. I couldn’t find a sitter so Oliver accompanied me to all the master classes and other functions. Before the musical theater demo, Oliver treated the other Visitors to an original composition on piano. Most couldn’t see who was playing behind the upright as they filed in, but all clapped when he walked out from behind holding my hand. Oliver then enjoyed the music class with Ethel, jammin’ with mama in the back row (although I’m not sure that the lights in the theatre didn’t hold more interest). After all the scheduled activities, as Oliver and I were walking alone back up to Stephanie’s, we heard drums coming from the dance studio. Diane Noya was teaching one of her fabulous modern classes that I used to take. In we went. Oliver started “dancing” (bouncing up and down) with the dancers. Then Diane handed Oliver one of the drummer’s shakers – the same as Oliver uses in his dance and music classes. So there’s Oliver sitting on the floor, accompanying the dancers with his shaker as they moved across the floor. They could barely dance they were laughing so hard.
I guess all this movement and art was a great inspiration to Oliver, who decided he better get started on at least the basics so he could move on to more advanced forms of expression. That evening, as Oliver and I settled in at SBP’s (Stephanie had a dinner), he pulled himself up, holding on to the end of the bed. I don’t even remember how it happened, but I noticed that he had to take a step before he got to me, so I decided to force the issue by backing up a little farther. To my astonishment, he stood! And then he took a few steps! I kind of thought that he would start standing on his own before he took steps, but he did both on the same night. Over and over again! He laughed with delight at his accomplishment, as did I. Chad was at an Eric Clapton concert so I left him a message then called Mom, to share the news. Big, big day.
9/29/06
HE TALKS!!!! No seriously. The firsts just keep a comin’.
From Walnut Hill, Olie and I went to Randal and Erik’s who have this fabulous hanging light that looks like a pumpkin. Oliver reached up towards it and said, “Igh.” As in “LIGHT” without the “L” and the “T”. Now Oliver says things that could be words like “da, da, da, da,” “ba, ba, ba, ba,” but I never anything like, “Igh.” It came out of nowhere. He said it a few times that day and the next, confirming that we weren’t just hearing things.
9/30/06
And he has 8 teeth! I just can’t keep up. Moving on from R&E’s to Grams’, I was showing Oliver her light, hoping to coax him into saying it for the Grams and Aunties. As he arched back to grab the chain, I noticed 2 more teeth on either side of his upper chompers.
10/3/06
Pretty sure Oliver said, “Mama” today. Hard to tell cause it’s more like, “mahmahmahmahmah,” same as when he repeats “dadadadada,” but this really seems directed at me.
10/4/06
Oliver tried to feed himself with a spoon today. I didn’t even try to teach him this. While eating dinner, he simply grabbed the spoon from me and insisted on guiding it to his mouth. He couldn’t quite get the hang of scraping the food off with his lips, but rather, he kind of sucked it off. This left a lot on the spoon which he then flailed around in triumph. Unfortunately I happened to be feeding him blueberries. Olie, Bella and I were covered in blue blobs afterwards.
After a bold start, Olie seems much more timid about walking. He often just falls into my arms if I prop him up (a really fun game, apparently) or he just sits down. He continues to prefer walking while holding one of our hands and practically runs along. Doesn’t seem very interested in practicing going solo for some reason. Maybe it’s still too scary. He is quite adept at “cruising” now though and sometimes doesn’t even realize he’s standing with no support. One of his new favorite games is playing tag around the coffee table with Dad.
10/06/06
Oliver definitely says, “mama,” except it’s more of a distress call than a term of endearment. He doesn’t spontaneously look up from his toys or a book and look lovingly into my face and say, “mama.” It’s more like when he wants me because he’s been left alone in his crib or is simply too far away across the room. “Mamamamamam!”
End of excerpt…..
AND
Further update….
This week Oliver overcame his brief fear of walking and now ambles along quite happily for at least 6 steps, often more. He’s also so good at standing that he can do it while holding objects in his hand and will frequently bounce up and down while maintaining his balance.
He’s also gotten better at feeding himself. While at dinner in Maine, I gave him Cheerios and a spoon to keep him entertained. I looked over at one point to find him trying to put his Cheerios on the back of his spoon. I turned it over for him and he proceeded to put Cheerios in the spoon and bring them to his mouth. About half went on the floor. He’s now much better at scraping the food off with his lips leaving less on the spoon to splatter admiring spectators. Although yesterday when Lance was visiting we got into a discussion on politics which distracted Mom. Before I knew it O had grabbed his peas and dumped a fare amount on his tray. I decide to leave it giving Olie the opportunity to “paint” with his food, something I’d read was good for them developmentally. Of course Olie slapped his hands down and peas made it all the way across the room to where Lance was sitting on the couch. Oops.
Much to our delight (and relief at receiving a moments respite), O spends good chunks of time pouring over the pictures in his books now. His favorite is a truck book that the Patterson’s handed down to us. What’s amazing to me is that O will point to objects in books if you ask him to. “Oliver can you show me the wheel?” He’ll point to the wheel. He also waves to trucks and buses now as they go by. The whole way back from the airport, he kept raising his arms in salutation. The NJ Turnpike is excellent for truck viewing.
Below are some recent excerpts from my journal:
9/28/06
HE WALKS!!!!!!!! Oliver and I went to Walnut Hill’s Board of Visitors Day today. I couldn’t find a sitter so Oliver accompanied me to all the master classes and other functions. Before the musical theater demo, Oliver treated the other Visitors to an original composition on piano. Most couldn’t see who was playing behind the upright as they filed in, but all clapped when he walked out from behind holding my hand. Oliver then enjoyed the music class with Ethel, jammin’ with mama in the back row (although I’m not sure that the lights in the theatre didn’t hold more interest). After all the scheduled activities, as Oliver and I were walking alone back up to Stephanie’s, we heard drums coming from the dance studio. Diane Noya was teaching one of her fabulous modern classes that I used to take. In we went. Oliver started “dancing” (bouncing up and down) with the dancers. Then Diane handed Oliver one of the drummer’s shakers – the same as Oliver uses in his dance and music classes. So there’s Oliver sitting on the floor, accompanying the dancers with his shaker as they moved across the floor. They could barely dance they were laughing so hard.
I guess all this movement and art was a great inspiration to Oliver, who decided he better get started on at least the basics so he could move on to more advanced forms of expression. That evening, as Oliver and I settled in at SBP’s (Stephanie had a dinner), he pulled himself up, holding on to the end of the bed. I don’t even remember how it happened, but I noticed that he had to take a step before he got to me, so I decided to force the issue by backing up a little farther. To my astonishment, he stood! And then he took a few steps! I kind of thought that he would start standing on his own before he took steps, but he did both on the same night. Over and over again! He laughed with delight at his accomplishment, as did I. Chad was at an Eric Clapton concert so I left him a message then called Mom, to share the news. Big, big day.
9/29/06
HE TALKS!!!! No seriously. The firsts just keep a comin’.
From Walnut Hill, Olie and I went to Randal and Erik’s who have this fabulous hanging light that looks like a pumpkin. Oliver reached up towards it and said, “Igh.” As in “LIGHT” without the “L” and the “T”. Now Oliver says things that could be words like “da, da, da, da,” “ba, ba, ba, ba,” but I never anything like, “Igh.” It came out of nowhere. He said it a few times that day and the next, confirming that we weren’t just hearing things.
9/30/06
And he has 8 teeth! I just can’t keep up. Moving on from R&E’s to Grams’, I was showing Oliver her light, hoping to coax him into saying it for the Grams and Aunties. As he arched back to grab the chain, I noticed 2 more teeth on either side of his upper chompers.
10/3/06
Pretty sure Oliver said, “Mama” today. Hard to tell cause it’s more like, “mahmahmahmahmah,” same as when he repeats “dadadadada,” but this really seems directed at me.
10/4/06
Oliver tried to feed himself with a spoon today. I didn’t even try to teach him this. While eating dinner, he simply grabbed the spoon from me and insisted on guiding it to his mouth. He couldn’t quite get the hang of scraping the food off with his lips, but rather, he kind of sucked it off. This left a lot on the spoon which he then flailed around in triumph. Unfortunately I happened to be feeding him blueberries. Olie, Bella and I were covered in blue blobs afterwards.
After a bold start, Olie seems much more timid about walking. He often just falls into my arms if I prop him up (a really fun game, apparently) or he just sits down. He continues to prefer walking while holding one of our hands and practically runs along. Doesn’t seem very interested in practicing going solo for some reason. Maybe it’s still too scary. He is quite adept at “cruising” now though and sometimes doesn’t even realize he’s standing with no support. One of his new favorite games is playing tag around the coffee table with Dad.
10/06/06
Oliver definitely says, “mama,” except it’s more of a distress call than a term of endearment. He doesn’t spontaneously look up from his toys or a book and look lovingly into my face and say, “mama.” It’s more like when he wants me because he’s been left alone in his crib or is simply too far away across the room. “Mamamamamam!”
End of excerpt…..
AND
Further update….
This week Oliver overcame his brief fear of walking and now ambles along quite happily for at least 6 steps, often more. He’s also so good at standing that he can do it while holding objects in his hand and will frequently bounce up and down while maintaining his balance.
He’s also gotten better at feeding himself. While at dinner in Maine, I gave him Cheerios and a spoon to keep him entertained. I looked over at one point to find him trying to put his Cheerios on the back of his spoon. I turned it over for him and he proceeded to put Cheerios in the spoon and bring them to his mouth. About half went on the floor. He’s now much better at scraping the food off with his lips leaving less on the spoon to splatter admiring spectators. Although yesterday when Lance was visiting we got into a discussion on politics which distracted Mom. Before I knew it O had grabbed his peas and dumped a fare amount on his tray. I decide to leave it giving Olie the opportunity to “paint” with his food, something I’d read was good for them developmentally. Of course Olie slapped his hands down and peas made it all the way across the room to where Lance was sitting on the couch. Oops.
Much to our delight (and relief at receiving a moments respite), O spends good chunks of time pouring over the pictures in his books now. His favorite is a truck book that the Patterson’s handed down to us. What’s amazing to me is that O will point to objects in books if you ask him to. “Oliver can you show me the wheel?” He’ll point to the wheel. He also waves to trucks and buses now as they go by. The whole way back from the airport, he kept raising his arms in salutation. The NJ Turnpike is excellent for truck viewing.
posted by Justine at
12:14 PM
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