Newborn babies are delicious in their innocence, their helplessness, and the reflex grab they lock around your finger.
After a little while, their head gets stronger. The meet your gaze with expressive eyes.
Then they learn to coo, kick, roll over.
One day they shoot you a smile, and you believe in your heart they are smiling because they see your face (and not just 'cause they have a little gas).
Over a smattering of weeks and months, first giggles are heard and celebrated, holding the head up strong, sitting up, eating with a spoon, bearing weight with their wobbly legs.
Soon you notice them making intentional movements, verbalizing a language that only they can understand, but full of meaning regardless. Disgust communicated at yucky beans, having to hold still, a stranger. Joy expressed at something specific, at the surroundings, at a toy, a bug, a plant leaf, Daddy coming in the gate, milk-glorious milk.
And then they crawl. Before your eyes, no longer is your child helpless and cooing, but is an active, mobile person in the room. And instead of crying about the infant lost, you are clapping and shouting your acclades at the little baby boy crawling toward you.
So it goes with Solomon.
At 9 months, Solomon started crawling, he pulled himself up to a stand, walking steadily with the help of a few hands.
Now that he is 10 months, he can navigate around our living room on two feet as long as there is a table or a chair to steady himself. He scrunches up his eyes in a dramatic blink, waits for us to blink back, and then giggles. He says, "dadadadadad" at no particular face, but it still makes his father burst with happiness. He understands, "Kiss me" and leans in for an open mouth, slobbery kiss willingly, time after time until Mom is dizzy with glee. He social coughs and social laughs to catch our attention or distract us from such awful activities like feeding him green beans. He feeds himself cheerios (and whatever treasure he's found on the floor). He plays drums on the coffee table and shouts out a joyful "ahhhh." He likes to follow ants with his fingers (and will put them in his mouth if the wee ant (or mom) isn't fast enough). He likes to snuggle a specific elephant at night or a felt blanket regardless of how hot it is. He splashes in the bathtub trying to catch his bobbing ball ever elusive in the water. He likes to bow zerberts on dad's legs (and giggles after the funny sound is made). He sits still only to read books, when bottle is in mouth, or when sleep has taken him over and he's waved the white flag. He thinks mom is funny when she dances and dad when he sings. He has many ticklish spots including his chest, under his arms, his back and his thighs; when he laughs with tickling, he bends his head forward and covers his face with his hands.
His neck still smells delicious. When I get the rare treat of waking him in the morning if he hasn't yet waken us first, he smiles with eyes closed, stretches with both arms over his head, legs out in a wide V, and then giggles. Once he is up, he is on the move... wanting to be independent but to be ever near...
Each day there seems to be a new step, a new nuance, a new discovery. We watch and wait, loving every moment, every slight evolution, every step forward this amazing little boy makes.
Our son is moving, growing. All we can do to celebrate. What a gift to be on such a journey of discovery with this beautiful child. With fondness I remember the baby he was, yet with anticipation, I look forward to what is next...
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