Milestones

My son is sitting on the floor in front of me as I type. And that seems like such a monumental thing, because days ago I was asking my mama friends on facebook for advice on what to do with this son of mine who refuses to be happy unless he is in my arms. I wasn't used to this type of baby as Zoe was independent and happy almost all the time. Friends said things would change once he was sitting up on his own and while I was grateful for a light at the end of the tunnel, I didn't believe them. Not really. I was convinced I was doing something wrong even if I knew that was ridiculous.

Finnegan has been sitting up on his own for a week now and he thinks he is the coolest baby ever, you can tell by that arched eyebrow and the huge grin. He's not like other babies I've seen, who slouch and struggle to hold their heads up. Nope. He sits up straight as an arrow and waves his arms around, yelling and laughing. Last week at Zoe's dance class I sat him in front of a little boy just a day older than him. Finn had never been so close to another baby before and he was very interested. They reached out and touched each others feet and fingers. The other little boy cooed and grunted and my son responded with loud yells. Friendly yells, mind you... but loud. Emphatic. And then he started waving his arms and somehow lifting his bottom almost like a little jump. He was obviously telling a very important, dramatic story. The other baby frowned. The other baby whimpered. The other baby made the most pitiful little frown you've ever seen. Clearly, the other baby did not like Finnegan's story. I said, "I think your baby is upset." And then Finn let out one last yell - his finale, maybe? - that sent the other baby into hysteric tears. And then I scooped my little bully up and said we'd try again next week. Gah!

But now, he's sitting at my feet. No worries about who he might upset with his excited grunts and yells, he intermittently bangs on a toy piano and then turns to a toy laptop. Every once in a while he looks up at me with that beaming, happy face, and gives me a loud "MAMAMA" as if to say, THIS is what he's been waiting for. What a happy, happy, dare I say INDEPENDENT little boy.