Aiden's Newest Quirks

Aiden has a couple new things going on lately. One is just as sweet as could be. The other - well, not so much. We'll start with the other so that we can end on the sweet note!

Aiden LOVES to put things in his mouth. Um, hello - he's a baby. Of course he does. What he does NOT love is things that will not go in his mouth. What he especially does not love is things that he can't even get free to attempt to put in his mouth. For example, for Christmas he got this cute little toy that suctions to the high chair. He really likes it. It has things that spin and makes noises. Really likes it. But what he really wants is to get it free, off of the high chair, and into his mouth. If it is suctioned to the tray, he will pull, pull, and then get MAD when it doesn't come off. If we get up to take it off and hand to him, well, he's usually past mad and just wants nothing to do with it by then. And then the toy isn't really conducive to putting in his mouth b/c of its size and how it's made. So, there's just one more thing to make him mad. Another example, on his activity jumper, you can hang toys for him to reach and pull, which we do, and he reaches and pulls. But those toys do not come OFF when he pulls. And this he does NOT like. Again, he gets downright mad. And it doesn't take long.

Hmmmm...wonder if this is my impatience shining through in him. But then again, Ryan is impatient, too. We're just impatient about completely different things and at different times (which actually can be quite helpful - as well as quite annoying). So, who knows. Another then again - most people aren't that patient. So, this isn't really a "where did he get that from" kind of quality. He's starting to realize what he WANTS to do with things and is getting very frustrated when he can't do them. I get that. That kind of thing frustrates me, too.

Ok, now for the "sweet as can be" thing. When I am nursing Aiden, his new thing is to reach his free hand up to my face and touch my lips. He does this just about all the time now. I'll kiss his fingertips, and he just keeps them there for me to keep kissing (which, of course, I do). Sometimes he'll touch my nose or my cheek, but it's mostly just my lips. A couple times he has grabbed the lips (it's a good way to know when he needs his finger nails trimmed - REALLY). But when he is touching me gently, I quietly say "gentle, gentle" - and he's been doing that more. The grabbing happened when he first started this. So, I think he's getting that he needs to be gentle. What is so sweet - apart from the fact that it is happening period - is that he does this for the longest times! His poor arm has got to be tired after a while, but he doesn't act like it. He's holding it straight up, barely able to reach my face. AND he does it when he's already tired. At night, during his bedtime feeding, he will be falling asleep and will STILL hold his hand up to my lips. I love it! (Obviously he does, too.)