Something to think about

Zeke is something of a puzzle to me sometimes and especially in the past month. Our interactions have had some rough edges, and I'm darned if I can figure out any one really solid reason for it. This isn't the first time it has happened and I'm sure it won't be the last time I think this about my children: I can't imagine what those middle school years will be like.

We seem to be emerging from this brief phase, though, and I'm glad for it. (I'm sure the return of school will help/has helped as Zeke seems to do well with the routine of the school year.) It means better sleeping, less opposition, fewer tantrums and less fickleness -- on both of our parts, I admit.

Maybe it is adjusting to having a sibling, coming off the end of a summer, me struggling to figure out the best sleep routine for him, or just coming up on a new developmental stage. It could be all of those. I do lean a little to the last reason, as Zeke seems to have really hit some new developmental strides this summer: more talking, more questioning, more storytelling and imaginative exploits, more awareness of feelings and morality and some pretty strong book smarts, too. Sometimes it seems my puzzling over Zeke and his behavior ripples out from his puzzling over the world. There is a lot going on in that head of his and we have plenty of evidence of that.

Zeke, apropos of nothing, shared with Aaron recently this tidbit. It seems a bit like a Buddhist koan to me, a koan being defined as a story or statement, the meaning of which cannot be understood by rational thought, yet may be accessible by intuition. Again, there was absolutely no context for this statement that Aaron could recognize.

"Daddy, a duck's mouth is also its nose."

Four months later

Little sunshine baby turned four months old this week. To celebrate, I took him to his fourth well baby visit at the pediatrician. (For the record, we no longer visit The Good Doctor who guided us through the first years of Z's life. I like the new doctor, but she doesn't quite have the same touch as The Good Doctor. I can't even think of a nickname for her thusly, but she is a less old fashioned and more sensitive to some of the concerns about my children's health. I miss him and the free parking for his office, but such are opportunity costs.)

Toby is now over 17 1/2 pounds, has an over 17 inch head and is 26 inches tall. That is about two pounds heavier than his last visit two months ago and about two inches taller. To match the rest of his round self, the doctor commented that he has a nice round head. Despite his large start, he actually is not at the very top of the growth chart, though pretty close.

He received two shots. In all fairness, Aaron and I are planning on getting the same shots: neither one of us has been vaccinated for tetanus or pertussis in our adult lives. Despite our pledge to get vaccinated, Toby was still displeased with his shots and was grumpy for the rest of the day.

Though not quite necessary, she commented on his drooling and the likelihood of his teething and she warned us that because of that and his recent trick of rolling (including rolling onto his stomach a few times) his sleep would probably be erratic. We were way ahead of her on this one, no medical degree necessary.

And, though she didn't comment on it, the visit reminded me that Toby's eye has gotten better. From the very start of his life, Toby's left eye has had tendency to get teary and sometimes a little crusty or yucky. Everyone has to have a flaw, right? At his two month well baby visit, the doctor confirmed that he likely had a narrow or blocked tear duct that we would continue to observe it. Most babies outgrow the condition, though some require a procedure requiring anesthesia. At four months, it has but cleared up and only is noticeable when he really has a good crying fit, no scary procedures necessary.

She knows that as with Zeke we will hold off on feeding anything solid until six months, but she gave me her recommendations for solids: skip cereal, start with orange veggies like squash or sweet potatoes and then onto green veggies. It won't be long before he is an eater!