In Which Children Get Hold of the Camera and the Baby

We had lots of visitors yesterday, effectively tripling the number of people M. has met.

Probably like lots of parents, I tend to think in terms of "firsts" a lot for the ... um ... first little while. As in first meal, first cry, first morning, and others, both mundane and significant: first lift of the head, first startle reaction, first real pain I've been unable to do anything about, first time hearing a laugh.

All these things happened yesterday, and M. weathers them with calm acceptance. His cries are intense, short-lived; he quickly returns to gazing and blinking.

He is learning, though, that crying gets more results than simple gasps. I predict, with all my parently insight, that this trend will continue.

Sleeping has not been a problem so far, either. He's twice as old as he was yesterday, and still sleeping soundly at night! He was up until 2 a.m. (my shift), and again for a little while at 5:30, but slept very well until 8:00 or so (!) when a procession of variously-robed strangers came to poke and prod.

He's very strong, holding up his head, grabbing the edge of the bassinet and escaping, Houdini-like, from any swaddle we care to try. Those hands like to be waving around!

So, what do you think? Are early traits a sign of things to come? And, which way? Does a calm baby mean a Terrible Two-ster? Or will he always be a little meditative?

It's easy to remember these foreshadowed traits in the other kidlets. C. has always been interested in doing things on his own: a good sleeper, teaching himself to play piano, lots of time reading. K. loves to be held and loves to tease (she would always feign sleep until you sat down, and then squeak to be picked up). B. has always been a talker, and just slightly on the adventurous side.

It's tougher to remember the things they don't do anymore, though a few stand out. C. used to whack his head on the wall. K. no longer wakes up screaming about lobsters in the middle of the night. B. used to switch random words around in sentences. These all seem to be developmental traits, though, not characteristics.

We'll just have to wait and see, I suppose!

We're checking out this morning, and expect to be home by lunch-time. More to come...