Mom Remembers

BRIANNA: Once upon a time there was a ... SOREN: Car! BRIANNA:  The car was very ... SOREN: Disappointed!

My baby has finally grown out of all his 6-9 month clothing and last night I was packing it all up to store in the attic.  Carl was talking to himself in the crib, getting ready to sleep and I was trying to sneak the old clothing out of his room. I don't know why I even try to be sneaky.  Even with bumpers in the crib blocking his vision, Carl knew I was in there, creeping around.  Maybe he could smell me.  He started wiggling happily in the crib, hoping for some attention.  I tried to sneak out on my hands and knees but didn't dare shut the door for fear he would notice and become upset. When I made it out of the room, breathing a sigh of relief, I was surprised to turn around and see Carl looking right at me.  He had pulled himself up on the bars of the crib and was grinning ear to ear. Even though it was 8 o'clock at night (well past bedtime), I had to pick him up, twirl him around, and gush about how clever he was.

ME:  Would you like some meat? SOREN:  A very little tiny piece of maggots, please.

I enjoy watching my boys grow and develop.  They are gaining more physical, social, and verbal competence every day.  But the steps my children take towards literacy are more exciting (to me) than any of the traditional developmental milestones.  I love to read and I am so elated when I see my boys engaging with books. Last week, Carl started turning the pages during story-time.  I know that he has been capable of turning pages for a while now but last week he started doing it routinely, correctly anticipating when it was time to do so.  When I would finish reading the words on a page, he would reach out and grab the next, turning it slowly to see the next picture and hear the next words. I think he likes to set the pace of the reading. Sometimes he looks at a picture long after I have finished reading the corresponding words, seeming to study every detail before flipping on.  Other times he can hardly wait for me to finish reading the text, he is so e...

This is an endlessly amusing game: Scott puts something on Carl's head and then Carl makes it fall off.  Then Scott puts it back on Carl's head and Carl makes it fall off again.  And again.  And again. It's fun.  No, really.

Soren has a stuffed rabbit that has become his constant companion.  It really is a lovely toy: soft, very hug-able, and shaped into a sitting position.  The rabbit has its own little blue sweater, fits easily into our leftover baby shoes, and boasts a butt big enough to fill in some of Carl's clothes. The rabbit is Soren's baby, his son, and his brother; his plaything and his playmate; his pupil, his audience, and his therapist.  Rabbit can play a seemingly infinite number of roles and Soren uses him to figure out and gain control over the world. Sometimes Soren is the mommy and the rabbit is his baby, as when he is carried around in a sling or rocked and showered with kisses.  Sometimes Soren is the mommy and the rabbit is the toddler, as when Soren helps him clean up his plate or tucks him into the big bed.  Sometimes Soren is the baby and the rabbit is his mommy, as when Soren is upset and only a hug from Rabbit will make him feel better.  Sometime...

Soren's skill with mega-blocks has increased a lot recently.  I think his conception of their use has changed and that change shows in his creations.  Before, the blocks were very satisfying to put together and he would stack them haphazardly.  He would be amused and not frustrated when they didn't fit, fell over, or were appropriated by Carl.  Now, the blocks are a tool for recreating the world and he is very particular about their placement and preservation.  He build things and then plays with them as though they really were the objects he calls them. These are some of the things he has built lately:  a staircase a bed  a piano a tower a computer  (Can't you see it? He types on the green part.)

I love listening to Carl yammer away.  His babble has become much more interesting lately, almost like he was really trying to say something.  There are occasional groans, spits, and squeals but he also makes a wide variety of speech sounds.  And I love it. A woman I admire advised at a baby shower that we should have "conversations" with our pre-verbal children.  She said that she would pretend she could understand her babies, comment on their babble, ask them questions, and wait patiently for responses.  I think about that whenever Carl gets really going. But Carl never lets me get a word in edgewise.  He just keeps jabbering away, experimenting with a constant stream of sounds.  Since any of my "conversation" would be fake and meaningless, it seems rude to interrupt.  And so I just listen, totally under his spell, pleased just to listen and love.

Carl's is really starting to grow up. I love watching him figure out the world and experiment with everything he encounters. Sometimes he gets really frustrated with it all; he's anxious for his little body to catch up with his flowering mind.  Most of the time, though, he is contentedly curious and just plain fun to be around. He is starting to figure out the connection between cause and effect, which has spawned a new game between us. He loves this game and always laughs when we play it, which is like hitting the jackpot for me as a mother. I'm glad he enjoys interacting with me because his enjoyment reinforces my own. This is the game: Carl makes a sudden movement (like slapping the table) and I match it with an onomatopoeia (like "bang"). We have lots of fun pairings and he enjoys switching back and forth between them. Bumping his head on the back of his chair is "bonk'" and shaking his head quickly from side to side is "Whoosh, whoosh, ...

Soren calls our tumblers "caterpillar cups". ex: "Milk in a caterpillar cup, Mommy!" He calls the kitchen floor "the squares". ex: "Soren is standing on the squares!" He calls the carpet "brown grass". ex: "Jumping on the brown grass!" He calls all juices "apple grape juice". ex: "Apple grape juice in a bottle for Soren!" He calls all babies "Carl". ex: "Look, Mommy and Carl in a stroller!" He calls a bus "the train stop". ex: "I see the train stop!"