Growing Up

My little guy is growing up. And we're quickly learning that every milestone comes with some good and some bad. (By the way, I've decided to just use the baby's name, Sam. It makes it so much easier! Anyway...) For example, earlier this week I was rubbing Sam's gums and I ran across his first tooth. It hasn't quite broken all the way through the surface, but I can feel the little jagged edge of it poking through his little baby gums. This is a very exciting. For a mom who is passionate about food, this will be a fun adventure of introducing new foods to him and helping him to experience new flavors. I tried to give Sam one of those baby biscuits a couple of weeks ago and discovered that he can still bite off pieces of things even without teeth. So all solid foods are eaten in one of those mesh things. Sam does seem to share my love for food though. He is a voracious eater and has generally liked anything I put before him. Now for the downside, new tooth equals crankiness. Now, I've heard horror stories, and I have to admit, Sam isn't really that bad. He gets a little fussy now and then but not the hours of screaming that people speak of. But I can tell that it bothers him, and he will have sudden bouts of crying. How traumatizing that must be for a baby--such betrayal. The happy place where food goes in, that tastes everything, is suddenly an owie place! Last night he was really having a hard time, so I ended up sleeping on the nursery floor with him. We cuddled up and that seemed to comfort him. Though, I woke up at one point and Sam had the entire pillow and all of the blankets! Takes after his dad! Well, one tooth down (close, anyways) and--how many teeth do babies get?--more? to go!

Another milestone is that Sam has discovered rolling. I was starting to wonder if he would ever be a roller. He doesn't like being on his belly that much and is usually content just to be on his back. He has demonstrated that he can roll over (Nanny Manda calls him a one-trick pony: He does it once to show that he can then that's it!), but has been more of a scootcher, pushing himself around on his back with his legs (thus the rug burn/bald spot on the back of his head). However, just the other day, I came in to get him out of bed in the morning and he was on his belly. I thought this was cute but didn't think much of it. Then later that day, he rolled across his nursery. Suddenly, he's a traveler. I realize that I probably can't take naps with him on my bed anymore (yesterday morning I woke up to Sam wrestling with the pillow that I put on the edge of the bed to keep him safe. It looked like Sam was winning). This also means that Sam tends to wake himself up at night when he rolls himself into a corner of the crib and gets stuck. Too soon, he'll be able to pull himself up to standing! Yikes!

Well, since I've decided to reveal the baby's name, I might as well explain a little about his name. First of all, it's a family name which makes it special. He also has two middle names--the names of both of his grandpa's. But I also liked the name because it means 'God heard' and Sam is definitely an answer to our prayers like Samuel was an answer to Hannah's prayers in the Bible. There is a painting by Elspeth Young that I want to own someday called For This Child I Prayed. There are so many women in the Bible like Hannah and Abraham's Sarah that I can relate to and who inspire me.

You can go to alyoung.com to learn more about the painting. It's interesting all the symbolism that he put into the painting. I especially like this part: "Hannah also wears white, symbolic of her faith and purity. The brightly colored wrap she wears warmly enfolds herself, and visually touches the child as well, symbolizing the influence of a righteous mother in the life of her child." I hope that I am a righteous mother!