Teaching Otis...

I feel compelled to teach Otis new skill after new skill... At the moment, I am working on familiarising him with a few body parts. And I'm having some success! If I ask him "Where's your tummy?", he'll lift his shirt and look down. It's such fun! He gets confused when I ask about his nose though. I guess that's because he can't actually see it. Might have to work on that one in front of the mirror...

Given how interested he is in his penis, I've started naming that for him too. Somehow he is already aware that his genitals are somewhat taboo... He giggles and looks at me with a sly, shy face whenever we discuss that region of his anatomy. Is shame inherent from birth? What an awful thought.

I read somewhere that at 12 months a baby should be able to sort shapes using a shape sorter. Otis is yet to master this, and I guess I feel a little frustrated with him. Which I know, when I think about it objectively, is nasty and pushy and ridiculous, but I do! Suffice to say, every day I spend at least a few minutes sitting with the shape sorter, in serious training with my still-only-a-baby son. I guess he'll figure it out eventually. He has a shape puzzle too, and enjoys attempting to pop the puzzle pieces into the correct spaces. Sometimes he manages, and I appear suitably enamoured and excited, but to be honest, I think those odd occasions are flukes. He's just not there yet.

He's communicating more explicitly with each passing day, although not 'talking' as such just yet. When we get up in the morning, I ask him if he wants breakfast or 'num-nums' (derived from yummy, one of his first 'words'). He dances and smiles. There's no confusion! He similarly physically exhibits joy when I ask him if he'd like some cheese, if he'd like a shower/bath, if he'd like to go for a walk, if he'd like a story, or if he'd like to go to the park. He and I both know what he wants, which in itself is progress! One of the hardest things in the early days is that communication barrier. Crying just doesn't cut it!

There are two other things he's learnt to do quite well. He can roll and throw a ball, in the right direction, with some skill. I don't have anyone to compare him to, but, what can I say, to me my baby seems super-duper co-ordinated! I'm sure he'd be walking already if it weren't for his gammy foot. He climbs so well, and isn't afraid of much (aside from my absence).

Today we had fun drawing with textas! The last few times I handed him a pen and paper, he had no idea what to do with either — both went into his mouth rather quickly, and were then tossed aside. But today he removed the lid, and made proper, efficient contact between the pen and the page. He scribbled wildly, and was so impressed with himself!

Reflecting on all of this, I think, truthfully, that I spend too much time doing, demonstrating, instructing, guiding and persuading, and not enough time just being. I'll have to work on that. Yes, that's right, I'll work on the concept of not working. Babies need down time, and, perhaps, so do mummies.