Wednesday, October 20, 2010

New Skills, New Parents

As new parents who haven't really been around little babies, we sometimes ponder over new happenings. This is how it goes...

Day 1
:
Take note of a new behavior

"Oh isn't that cute, Wesley is rubbing his feet together. How funny. I guess it's his new thing."

Day 2 :
Recount story to someone else
(Grandma)
"See how he's rubbing his feet? It was so hilarious, he was doing it so much yesterday that the nursing cover was trapped between them and we had to pull
SO HARD to get it out."

Day 3
:
Ponder an explanation

"Hmm....I wonder what developmental skill this could be for...creeping? Doesn't seem like it...
I am pretty sure that it must be a standard baby thing...he seems fine..."

Later Day 3
:
Discuss and Act


Melissa: "Umm...he's doing this a lot...seems a little odd. You think it's okay, right?"

Casey: "He didn't want to stand up earlier because he was so busy rubbing them.
He's probably fine, though"

Melissa: "Yeah."

{long pause}

"You don't think he caught poison oak and is actually itching, do you?"

"Hmm..." {we both ponder the possibility}

Casey: "Maybe we should Google it."


Melissa: "Yeah, that's what I was thinking...
"

Later Later Day 3

Google complete. Totally normal. In this case, it's another sign that Wesley has "discovered his feet" (in a new way) and is playing with them. He has been staring at and craning toward them a lot lately.


What did parents do before Google? Seriously. I bet pediatricians received many more phone calls. Intuition goes a long way, but often it's nice to have Googled Reassurance.


In this picture Wesley is rubbing his feet together and examining/grabbing his outfit at the same time. Two of his current favorite activities. Perfectly normal baby activities.

2 comments:

  1. Is it weird that I had forgotten about this? I totally did this with Clark. But with baby number two you're like, oh wait, let me see if she can sit up I've never tried that and I am always holding her so the other one doesn't smash her but she IS just about the right age to sit up on her own... oh look, she can! She can sit up! Good to know. (That is an actual retelling of how I found out Alice could sit up on her own. With Clark I like, had him PRACTICE and stuff and wrote down how close he was and cheered when he did it on his own for the first time really well, etc.)

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  2. That's funny. Do you think that is why eldest children are supposed to be the "overachievers" of the family? I wonder if "birth order" personality stuff (which I am not sure I even believe) has anything to do with changes in parenting style...
    we're definitely in the cheering and marveling and practicing stage. Last night I was going "WOW WESLEY you are so much stronger at sitting". Which he is, even though he's quite a ways from actually sitting on his own. I am genuinely excited by and taking note and practicing all of his tiny changes in strength and skill...I can imagine that parenting would have to be different with babies to come. And that they will develop the same regardless...oh good fun.

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