Harry Likes to Mimick

Harry and Sarah Closeup
Originally uploaded by brownorama

So a big change with Harry in the last week has been his sudden interest in doing things that the adults around him do. So some of the things that he has started copying include putting his finger up to his mouth and saying shush. Or putting his fingers up to his nose and "blowing." The other night we had kebabs and they come with bread and a yogurt dipping sauce. We gave Harry some of the bread but when he saw us dipping ours, he wanted to dip his as well. Of course, he ended up with white fingers and with a white ring around his mouth. We thought it was hilarious. Harry just looked at us with a "what?" look on his face. When I went over to a friends house for a play date the other day - a place we have been many times now - Harry was obsessed with playing with the toy kitchen they had - putting the food in and out of the frying pan and turning on the "water." He also would not leave the toy vacuum cleaner alone. These are all tendencies that I wonder whether I should be directing towards good use. :-)

Finally, on more of a general development front, Harry kicked a ball yesterday. For the first time it was a very purposeful and repeated action on his part. (As opposed to just something that happened in the course of walking near a ball.) He found it exceedingly exciting and was very pleased with himself when he did it too. :-)

Carousels Rock!

Yay! Carousels Rock!
Originally uploaded by brownorama

A couple of weekends ago we took Harry for his first rides on a carousel. We went down to Glen Echo Park - an old amusement park that was established at the turn of the 20th century that is now a national park. There they have a carousel that was built in 1921 that is still operating. The rides cost all of a dollar per person, the carousel animals are jauntily painted and the organ music is cheerfully loud. I wasn't sure how Harry would react to it all. It can be overwhelming and his recent sense of fear of things made me a little hesitant. So I anxiously waited with him in line as everyone came off and the next group were allowed on. We found our "horse" and got on and then the lady came and rang the bell and started the carousel. As it started to move round and round, I discovered two glorious things. First, Harry loved it! He spent a good part of the time giggling and yelling with glee and waving at his Daddy as we wizzed by. Second, I remembered how much I loved carousels and memories of the many,many times I went on them came flooding back to me. (My carousel of choice was the one down on the National Mall.) It was fun to have this experience with Harry and to have him enjoy it as much as I did. We went on it twice and then headed to the playground that was next to the carousel. Harry was entertained for a bit. But he was drawn back to the carousel - pointing and gesturing urgently to me - like a moth to a flame. It is satisfying to know that his Mummy's genes have been passed down so clearly.

What's new with us....Harry turns 16 months, is walking with ease, and is generally just a doll

Harry Close-up
Originally uploaded by brownorama

On the one hand, we have been going through a period of relative calm on the major physical developments front. Harry is now walking with confidence. Our little one no longer crawls after falling down, but rather stands back up - one's view of the world is much more interesting standing up. The little changes still come on a daily basis. As reported by the development books, he is in a push-me pull-me phase - in any given moment, Harry wants to run in the opposite direction at the same time as clinging to my leg. There are definite challenges given this contradiction. Not only is he walking with confidence, he is insisting on doing so on his own a good part of the time. Independence is the name of the game. But he is also scared when the door bell rings and Timber barks - so he rushes over for reassurance. As a mother it is hard to strike the balance between letting him do his own thing and providing the "protection" he desires. But we are working on it daily and I am sure we will find an equilibrium eventually. (Just in time for the next phase of development to hit. :-) )

Music class is something he is relishing these days. He spends most of his time walking around the room "singing" in a loud voice and then rushing back to me when the next "instrument" (i.e. shaker, sticks, scarves) is handed out, laughing with glee. He is particularly excited when the teacher rolls a ball over to him. What is also gratifying, is how the other mothers seem to appreciate his joie de vivre.

The teeth continue to come on in. The arrival of the molars was accompanied by a profuse amount of drool. It seemed, for a while there, that he would never have a dry chin and chest again. But it seems that they are in. So he now has a total of 12 teeth - including 4 molars. Teeth brushing takes on more significance when there is actually something in there to brush. :-) Of course, the push-me pull-me phase also makes that particular task challenging. But we always say that he has to be prepared if he sees our friend Tom - father of his friend Carter and budding dentist. Not sure if Harry is convinced, however.

Sleep has continued to be great (touch wood!) He is sleeping 12 - 12 and 1/2 hours at night and then an hour and a half in the middle of the day. It makes his mother feel much more sane. Of course, it hasn't helped my sleep at all. I still wake up every 2 hours without fail. A reality that is becoming more and more trying as the days go by.

From what I read, we are going into the most challenging period of the toddler stage and whilst I gird myself for the process, I am also feeling a sense of calm as a mother - the endless process of adaptation to the next thing seems easier and, dare I say, a feeling of confidence has developed. Of course, I could be back tomorrow saying I was wrong and what did I know. But I hope that maybe I am right and I can say that I have achieved a certain degree of serenity. All I need to do now is get a good nights sleep. :-)