Ethan and Emry

It seems like this week Ethan has grown by leaps and bounds. I was scribbling on his October calendar this week and realized nearly every day this month has something written on it. That is how much he has changed!

First, he sits up rather well now. He can roll over from sitting, but he can’t roll up yet. Not that he would want to for once he’s down, his military crawl has progressed to a very fast elbows and knees crawl. He has two teeth! He’s discovered his tongue. His communication level has grown (his grunts and various noises have meanings I am beginning to understand). And the greatest accomplishment of all? He eats finger food! I was sure I would have to puree his food for the rest of his life as every time I tried to introduce something more solid he couldn’t seem to grasp that food is not meant to be inhaled. But now!!!! We’re still working on “pinching” the food with fingers instead of grabbing and stuffing it in our mouth, but no longer am I hovering every second afraid he’s going to choke to death. I think our greatest worry now is keeping him full. Car payments? We’re going to need second jobs to feed this boy!

With his growing delight in playing, getting about and eating real food; Emry has found him less of a nuisance and more of a playmate. They’ll sit on the floor together and play blocks, laughing and “chattering” to one another. They’ll crawl into corners together and giggle. Emry loves to show him how she can pinch her food, or say please, or chew. And he just grins, loving the attention she gives him. It’s really a delight to watch.

But less you think everything is idyllic, there are many moments when I feel sorry for Ethan. For I must confess, Emry can be a bully. If she gets it in her mind that Ethan should not be eating Cheerios, or playing with her blocks, or even playing with his animals; she simply takes them away from him. And he just looks at her. Granted, she usually replaces said snatched away toy with some little item she has no desire whatsoever to play with, insisting to me (while I lecture about sharing or tell her that she must give his toys back to him) that Ethan doesn’t want those play items and that he really wants only what she allows. Meanwhile, Ethan is showing quite clearly by tossing what he has just be given aside that he doesn’t really want that.

Honestly, some days I look forward to the day when he’s bigger than her and fights back. I think she’ll find he’s at least as stubborn as she is.