Character

Yesterday Adam was on a roll. Here are some of Adam's new tricks (all learned only yesterday):

• Pushing the button to turn his little Baby Einstein aquarium in his crib off and on. (He just realized it was there)
• Opening and closing cabinet doors.
• Hooking his pacifier with his pinky and holding it that way while he tries to figure out something else. Or while he sticks something else in his mouth. (He doesn't need his paci usually, unless he's tired, but if it's in vision he'll grab it)
• When I said, "Adam, do you want some apple juice?" He said, "apple juice?"
• When I said, "Oh no," he said "oh no." I said "Oh no," again, and he said "oh no," again. (I said "oh no," a third time, and he ignored me).
• Drank water out of a regular cup.
• Used his legs to push away from me while sitting in my lap to get closer to something he wasn't supposed to have.
• Threw a baby toy on the ground and wriggle desperately to get to my glass of water, a stack of papers, anything but a baby toy.
• Held my hands and went from a sitting position in my lap to a standing position.
• Cannot be distracted from something he wants. He remembers, even if you hide it.

And then the finale.

He wasn't feeling well and didn't want to go to bed last night. We let him hang out in our bed, but he was simply not in the mood to calm down.  Shannon sat next to him and played with him, leaning over to tickle his neck or make funny noises in his ear. Adam was doing what he normally does - grabs your cheeks and smiles and giggles and looks at you like you're the most awesome thing he's ever seen. I sat by and watched them silently or read my book.

I said something and Adam swung his head around to look at me like he almost forgot I was there. He's been on a kick where Dad can do no wrong, and Dad is fun and playtime and cuddles . . . and Mom does those things and gets those cuddles too. But Adam can be having the time of his life, and see Mom, who reminds him, "oh, yeah, I'm dying of hunger," or "I'm SO tired and cranky," or the best one yet, "I have something very important to say and I'm not very happy about it so I'm just going to bitch." That's right, it's rare, but smiley little Adam just likes to complain sometimes. It's not crying or fussing, it's loud talking, furrowed eyebrows, and lots of run-on syllables.

Back to the story. So he realizes I'm there next to him and turns on his side to face me and yells at me for a couple of minutes, furrowed eyebrows and all, varying tones and increasing loud voice. Then Shannon would say something and he'd look at him, smile and be all cuddles and fun. Erin talks, Adam complains and yells. Shannon talks, all is fun and right with the world.

Silly boy.