lollardfish (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lollardfish) wrote2008-08-04 05:16 am
lollardfish) wrote2008-08-04 05:16 am
I've been walking, after midnight ...
Child development is a strange and mysterious thing, the more so when extra chromosomes get in the way. Child reaction to international travel is less strange and mysterious, but has resulted in some sleepless hours. The first night, Nico slept through much of the night, waking only for about 45 minutes in the middle to snuggle with me before going back down. The second night, he slept from 8-10:30, then woke and was up until 1:00 before I could get him back down. Then he slept until 8 AM or so. He just woke up (4:30) a little while ago for his third night, but I snuggled him back down again. Sadly, I am now awake and taking to you all.
Yesterday was a big day, though. He had a fussy lunch and a short nap, so I was a little trepidatious as we approached the downward slide at the end of the day. Shannon and I took him for a walk into town and we wandered down to the spot where I proposed to her. By the time we had returned to the gite, the weather had cleared entirely (it's been spotty sun/rain the whole time, with the net effect of keeping everything nicely cool more than ruining our fun), and the late afternoon sun was warming the yard. Up went "le parc" (see previous post), out came the lawn chairs and champagne. After about an hour, Nico and I started to play on the grass, and yesterday, for whatever reason, instead of taking only one or two steps, he decided to repeatedly take 10 or 20! This is walking with my hands on his hips, providing balance and cues as to moving. We've done it dozens of times, and usually I get a few steps. But today he advanced on Bruce, then Mama, then a tree. And for the first time, when I went to the classic "assisted walking" - baby's hands over his head, back to me, walking toward Mama - he seemed to get it. This is a big step.
Then we went and played in gravel, had a great dinner (he's been fussy about what he eats), gave him a bath, put him down (within about 5 minutes of hitting the pillow), and went after our own dinner (moules de Mont St. Michel in a butter and garlic sauce, roasted duck breast in a maple syrup and rhubarb sauce, haricots verts, local potatoes, fantastic wine).
Today - it's off to look at animals in a medieval cave-village, have a little picnic, and see how the boudin noir tastes with fennel instead of leek.
Yesterday was a big day, though. He had a fussy lunch and a short nap, so I was a little trepidatious as we approached the downward slide at the end of the day. Shannon and I took him for a walk into town and we wandered down to the spot where I proposed to her. By the time we had returned to the gite, the weather had cleared entirely (it's been spotty sun/rain the whole time, with the net effect of keeping everything nicely cool more than ruining our fun), and the late afternoon sun was warming the yard. Up went "le parc" (see previous post), out came the lawn chairs and champagne. After about an hour, Nico and I started to play on the grass, and yesterday, for whatever reason, instead of taking only one or two steps, he decided to repeatedly take 10 or 20! This is walking with my hands on his hips, providing balance and cues as to moving. We've done it dozens of times, and usually I get a few steps. But today he advanced on Bruce, then Mama, then a tree. And for the first time, when I went to the classic "assisted walking" - baby's hands over his head, back to me, walking toward Mama - he seemed to get it. This is a big step.
Then we went and played in gravel, had a great dinner (he's been fussy about what he eats), gave him a bath, put him down (within about 5 minutes of hitting the pillow), and went after our own dinner (moules de Mont St. Michel in a butter and garlic sauce, roasted duck breast in a maple syrup and rhubarb sauce, haricots verts, local potatoes, fantastic wine).
Today - it's off to look at animals in a medieval cave-village, have a little picnic, and see how the boudin noir tastes with fennel instead of leek.
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Hooray for walking. It seems to me he certainly got the concept of what to do (though I may be biased) but that the lack of muscle tone was holding things up.
Nico got some new space p.j.'s and Levi jeans today from Costco, to go with his new book. I'll ship them when you get back to the states. Maybe a few more things will find their way in the mix by then, as that's how these things tend to go. :)
Hey we need walking videos! One with sound where you all say Hi Lala and David we miss you and wish you were here and then you all break into song singing Pink Floyd............ Okay we'll settle for the baby walking........
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sounds like a great start to the trip.
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I hope his sleep settles in. Sounds like a fabulous trip so far.