10 months!

Summer always goes fast, but it seems that this month has flown by faster than usual. And though it seems like I have been busier than ever, it also seems like I get less done! Sometimes it seems that I have nothing to show for what I do all day, but Eamon is a month older, he is healthy and strong and happy (usually) so I guess that is something.

Sleeping: The arrival of another tooth and crazy napping schedules have completely thrown off any sleep routine that we had. Some nights he sleeps great. Others we all get headaches because we haven't slept more than two hours together or we have woken up at 4am with a fussy baby who won't fall back to sleep. Last night was a good night though. I wouldn't mind more of them. But I suppose it is payback for the trouble I gave my parents when I was a baby.

Eating: He is still nursing several times a day, but he loves his Cheerios. Every morning when I pour Cheerios for breakfast, he get excited and nearly jumps out of my arms. Today he tried to get some out of the box. He likes squash and fruit of all types but especially bananas. He doesn't like grown-up food very much yet. We give him bits but he usually gags or spits it out. We'll keep working on it, but until he gets used to more textures, he has his baby food and Cheerios and mommy.

Playing: He gets into everything. He prefers to explore rather than just play. And he prefers things that aren't toys, like the trunk, the piano, the stereo, the cupboards, etc. He loves books, but still can't turn pages without ripping or wrinkling them. So his board books are great, and before afternoon nap time, we look at big-boy books. He is beginning to understand that there are other children in this world. He thinks that the way to interact with them is to grab their face or pat their head or pull himself to a stand using them, but he likes people, especially other kids now. He wants to do everything his cousin (a year older) does. It was interesting watching them "play" the other day. Eamon wanted Edmund's toys, until Edmund started playing with Eamon's toys. Neither quite grasp the concept of "together" yet; they want all the attention for themselves. Eamon seems to get confused when I have a different child on my lap.

Development: Eamon pulls himself up on anything he can - the wall, the stereo, the radiator cover, me, the bench. This has caused several falls, but none too serious. He has discovered the stairs and will climb over halfway if we let him. Then he turns to whoever is following him and asks to be picked up. We now keep a gate up. Last night he decided to climb the step ladder too. He was quite please with himself perched on top of the ladder. I keep him pretty close to me all day long, so he doesn't do anything without me right there, but I think it is good for him to explore and learn about his world and what he is able (and not able) to do. And I don't think it is good for him to hear "No, you can't do that," all day long. It means I have to be extra vigilant and get interrupted very often, but I think it is worth it.

Other things: He has moved up to size 3 diapers and is wearing 6-9 month clothes. He has a few smaller and a few larger that he wears too, but that is the approximate size he is. He doesn't seem to mind being hot when we cuddle, but he doesn't like the sun shining on him in the car. He loves being outside though. He is getting rather dextrous with his little fingers. The other day he picked out a single pin from my pin box while I was sewing. He also crawled over the fabric and pricked his little belly. Perhaps I am a terrible mommy for letting him get hurt, but I can't protect him from every injury that he will ever encounter, and I would rather him learn how to handle hurt than keep him from ever getting hurt, especially when the hurts come as a result of his actions.

I worry sometimes that we are letting him become a willful or disobedient boy, but at the same time I don't know that he understands actions and consequences very clearly yet. So perhaps it is inconsistent to let him get pricked by pins for crawling over something I said "No" to, but not spanking him for climbing the steps. But at the same time, I never let him near the steps by himself, and he will learn to use them before he learns to sew. That where this whole parenting thing get really complicated. Fortunately, God does not call us to be perfect parents, only loving parents, and love covers a multitude of wrongs.