Week of August 28, 2002
Owen has has started walking! He's unable to sustain himself for more than a few feet, and he's frustrated. He'll stand for a bit and then take 3 or 6 or 10 steps before tottering and plopping down on his bottom. He loves the clapping and smiles he gets with each walking attempt, but he's still obviously irritated with his lack of progress. He'll practice for an hour, and then spend the rest of the day crawling. Good old crawling, when he can zoom around at top speed and never topple over. His self-awareness is working against him -- it's easier for him to go further when he's absorbed in something else. As soon as he's aware that he's walking, he plops right down again. I think it's hard taking such a step "backward" when he's obviously mastered crawling. I think that's making this process take such a long time. The only pay off for him will be the fact that he'll be able to carry things in his hands, rather than in his mouth.
His favorite toy lately is his ladybug ball, it entertains him longer than any of his other possessions. Often he adds to the joy by throwing the ball to a place from which he can't retrieve it, and then he goes "NaNa!" to indicate that he needs help. "Nana" seems to be his phrase for "make this better" or "take care of this for me" -- we hear this anytime he's frustrated (his ball is in the window behind the lamp, food isn't forthcoming, Big Bear is in the tub, the ball is in the tub). He's so interactive, he makes up for his very limited vocabulary by using gestures and emphatic noises. He very clearly holds things or points, he'll grab our hands or push them away.
"Tat" is still cat, and "deh" is dog. Clearly dogs and cats are his favorite things, although "da" can also mean birds, Scott and I, his ball, an attractive tree, etc. We were kind of psyched to piece together Nana. What else is he trying to tell us that we're missing? One article we read recently that "cat," "dog," and "ball" are often the first words a baby will learn. What gives theses things such universal appeal? And English seems to emphasize nouns, so that our culture tends to teach babies the meaning of names before anything else. How many parents are doing what we do, "Yes, that's right, that's a a Dawwwg." Our naming the world brings our babies into the world of categorization more quickly than in other languages, although I guess babies catch up with one another, it's just a matter of what they hit first.
Owen is getting more opinionated. If food doesn't appeal to him, he makes his usual face and then picks it out of his mouth and disdainfully opens his hand over the edge of the high chair. Although now that he's watched our reaction, he'll do this to toy with us as well. Holding something over the edge, then stuffing it in his mouth at the last moment while giggling. He's still a versatile eater, but he very clearly has preferences (which of course shift). Fruits and vegetables are still his favorite. He eats Indian food with us but it's not his favorite. Boeuf Bourguinon was a loser (even the mushrooms!). He loves the squash casserole Scott's Mom makes, and he's pretty happy with fruit most of the time. He loves our Harvest Stew. Pizza is always safe. Mushrooms. Grapes and cherry tomatoes. French bread, muffins and bagels. Other favorites rotate.
He's taken to fighting being put in the car seat. He stiffens his legs or arches his back and we'll have a good-natured struggle as I try to push his tummy in so I can belt him up. He's also started twisting around in his stroller, if we stop for too long. If we could just feed him bites of muffin or bagel in the morning, as we stroll around, I think he'd be in Owen heaven. Our walks are always best when we can find dogs or birds or construction projects along the way, but he's pretty happy to be outside any chance he gets. I'm getting glimpses of the toddler he's going to become. What is this next year or two going to be like?
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