Beach house on the moon

I don't think I'm teaching my son as much as he is surprising me with his new skills.

At Grace's birthday party, I turn around and watch Patrick playing with his Nana (Kevin's mom). He's calmly putting the round block into the correct round hole in the toy container. I didn't know he could do that! Or several days ago at bedtime, when I said, "Patrick, let's read a book!" I was speaking to him like so many parents speak to their children; not necessarily expecting a response. Patrick drunkenly walked over to his bookshelf, grabbed a book, and plopped himself down in my lap.

I am reminded daily that I am raising a person, not just watching a baby for the next few years.

He is walking 90% of the time, with just an occasional crawl for convenience. Balance improves more every day, and he's able to stand up without pulling on anything for support. Overall, he seems to understand more how to get where he wants to go.

He is Officially sleeping through the night. I'm quite fortunate to have a decent sleeper on my hands, and we've both worked hard to follow his cues. Sometimes that changes. Like today, when slept in til 6am (yeah!), and then only took a one hour nap in the stroller as we visited Art on the Ave today (bummer). Patrick is normally on a two nap schedule, one at 8am and the other anytime between 1pm and 3pm. He'll nap for about 60 to 120 minutes. Bedtime is at 7-7:30pm. Wake up time is at 5:30am.

Eating and food habits seem to follow the toddler schedule. Sometimes a little. Sometimes a lot. He can eat something joyfully off the floor, but refuse it the second I place it on his high chair tray. Then he'll surprise me by scarfing something previously reviled. I do have to be careful not to offer something new if he's in the middle of a bite, because he'll take the chewed food out of his mouth, throw it on the floor, and eat the next offering.

Everybody who feeds small children really should have dogs. They are awfully convenient.

Patrick is social and smiling, even when shy. He can pitch a fit like nobody's business, but turn on a dime if something pleases him anyway. Incredibly tenacious but easily distracted from a frustrated cry, Patrick runs around the house seeking the next big thing. He snuggles with the puppies when they allow it. He hugs us. He likes to stick his hand in my water glass, but doesn't like the lemon slice I gleefully let him taste.


And for all that he adores his Daddy and clings to his Mommy, we think his first word will be sock.