What We’ve Learned: Week 39
The weather has finally turned, and the past three days have seen highs in the 80s. The 80s! After what was the usual 9 months of winter in Chicago, this was a nice change. Of course, in my eyes, it was too much of a nice change, as I’d much rather it only get up to about 75 during the day and 51 at night. (I’ve always found it’s a good thing to be specific when you’re bargaining with Mother Nature.)
But even though I don’t like it this warm, Henry seems to be enjoying it, mostly because we’ve started dressing him in short sleeves and even sleeveless shirts. While short or no sleeves certainly help him keep cooler in the heat, I think he likes it more because it shows off his guns. (Guns, for all you people who are even less hip than me, are his muscular arms. And does anyone use the term “hip” any more?)
He doesn’t flex them, per se, but he’s been flapping them about more than usual and has even started to wave goodbye. We’ve tried to have him wave wearing long sleeves or a jacket, but no go. He’s got to flash those biceps.
He’s also been getting a lot more interest from the young (ie, under 1 year old) ladies at local parks and the beach. Our son got it and knows how to flaunt it.
So other than Henry showing off what God gave him, what else did we learn this week?
We learned that today Henry turns 9 months old. It was too hot to bake a cake or really do anything special to celebrate, so I just made sure to give him a few more kisses than usual. I have, however, started thinking about his first birthday. The past few weeks we’ve been to two different birthdays (for a 2- and a 1-year-old), and being the competitive nutcase that I am, I’m trying to figure a way to top them all. He may be a little too young for donkey rides and neither Kristen nor I like clowns, but there will be something special. You, dear reader, can only hope to be invited.
We learned that Henry is now old and big enough to sit in restaurant high chairs and supermarket carts with comfort. This is a great thing because it means we can go eat out and have him right there at the table, constantly trying to grab anything within arm’s reach (notably anything sharp, of course), and we can go to the grocery store and I don’t have to carry him strapped to my chest (which is a nice thing but, darn, he’s heavy and by the time we get to the produce section I’m dying).
We learned that Henry loves to say “Mama” and “Dada.” The fact that he says those things to us is even better. (I may be stretching this a little, considering he says Mama to me as much as he does to Kristen, but it’s adorable dammit, and I’ll believe what I want!)
And we learned that, even though it’s pretty vain, I love it when strangers compliment Henry. The other day Henry and I were waiting at the train station for Kristen, and he was sitting on my lap, smiling and hamming it up with everyone who passed. A couple walked by and the woman said to me, “Oh, what a cute baby.” “Thanks,” I said, and assumed that was that. But then, as they walked by, the woman turned to her friend and said, “No, really, that was a cute baby!” And of course, my chest puffed out and I was as proud as could be. All I know is, we’re lucky that Henry takes after Kristen and not me, or he wouldn’t be half as cute. Thank goodness for the randomness of genes.
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:11 am
Now that he knows how to say “Mama” and Dada” (the idea of which melts my heart. What does his voice sound like??), you should teach him to say “gun show” while flexing. This will have an especially great effect if he’s wearing that blue and white striped ensemble. He is a treasure, that one.