Standing

My baby boy isn’t really a baby any more, at the ripe old age of 13 months. The thing is, I’m not so sure he’s a toddler either. It’s the lack of toddling that does it. He can stand while holding onto something. Actually, he can stand without holding onto something - it’s just that he doesn’t think that he can. Sometimes we trick him by giving him something to hold, and in the few seconds after he has grabbed it (but before he realises what he’s doing) he stands proud and free.

Still no words, either. Lots of shouts that could very easily become words. It’s going to be a short loud word that he gets the hang of - our only hope is that it isn’t “gun”. My 7-year-old knows this, and so is pretty determined that it should be “gun”.

No words and no walking (or even real standing), but he’s a speed-demon when it comes to crawling and to climbing. Who would have thought that somebody who couldn’t stand could scale a ladder, then go over the top and head first down a slide? Relatedly, he’s also got the first of what I’m sure will be many head bumps. The child has no fear, apart from, apparently, when it comes to standing without holding onto anything.

He’s nailed clapping and waving, and is a dab hand at pointing too. Drumming, both with hands and accessories. His favourite is the pan drawer, which he can open and close, fuck up, and then smash the pans off of the floor/wall for extra noise.

As of a few days ago, he dropped down to being a one-nap baby and he’s so much happier. It’s a real pain when he only does a 45 minute nap, but we no longer spend hours on end trying to squeeze in a second nap that he doesn’t want to have. I reminded myself when we had this child to not stress too much about doing things right and to just go with whatever works for them. Then I went ahead and forgot it all over again. When you remember that you can just do what works for your child and then it works…well, why can’t I remember that?

He’s got two teeth now, and occasionally is irrationally angry…no, wait. He’s always irrational, often angry, and very often irrationally angry. However, we often attribute some of this anger to his teeth and the pain of growing new ones. Maybe it’s some other pain, or just the general anguish of existing in a world where nobody can understand you. But it’s easier to say “are your teeth hurting?” and to give him Calpol.

He’s developing cheekiness and craziness. Sometimes when he starts to get tired and he’s had a meal, he’ll just crawl around the kitchen table shrieking. I think he’s imitating his older siblings who like to run and do the same thing. He loves a wrestle too, but his only move is to crawl up to me and then dip his head at me. That’s my cue to flip him upside down and generally tackle him. Successfully flipped, he crawls away, and then crawls back at me to repeat the process.

He’s a lot of fun if he’s all you’re dealing with and you’ve got energy. He’s a lot less fun if you’re trying to achieve something and he woke up at 5:30am and wants to post electronics in the toilet while you’re trying to wee.