Empathy

My son is not a sociopath! He proved it to me Wednesday night. I was exhausted and anxious about a presentation I was giving the next morning. Ben was at band practice until late into the night and all I wanted to do was get Dexter to sleep and crawl into bed myself. Sure enough, it was one of those rare nights when Dexy couldn't sleep. From 8:15 - 10:30pm I was running between my bed and his room to comfort him. At one point, I was holding him in his rocking chair and he was inconsolable - tossing his paci clear across the room, screaming and crying, flailing his arms, kicking his legs, the whole enchilada. I couldn't keep it together any longer and just started crying - tears streaming down my face, chest heaving, whimpers and sobs, the whole enchilada. Then I realized that Dexter wasn't crying anymore. I looked down at him in my arms and he was completely still just looking at me with a slightly confused and concerned look on his face. Believe me, this was not the first time I had cried while trying to comfort him. But it was the first time he responded to my emotional state. Eventually he got to sleep. Not long after that My Bologna started puking all over the living room floor and I was out of bed again cleaning the carpet. It was not my night.

Stranger Anxiety

What I had been reading about for months finally happened! Ben's parents arrived Thursday evening for a weekend visit and when they rang the doorbell Dexter was playing in the living room. They enthusiastically went to Dexter and, at first, he seemed very excited to see Gunker (Ben's dad). Ben looks and sounds a lot like his dad so I think Dexy thought it was his Daddy coming to get him. But when Gunker picked Dexy up, he got a good look at Gunker and the expression on his face went from excited happy to terrified sad. Meanwhile, Grandma was approaching to say hi and Dexter was having none of it. He was screaming and crying, pushing his poor grandparents away, his wide eyes darting around the room seeking Mommy. He calmed down when I took him into my arms but he still was wary of Grandma and Gunker, looking around and crying when he caught sight of them. This only lasted a few minutes, after which he quickly warmed up to them.

I know this is going to sound evil but it was hilarious. It was also comforting and rewarding (for me) to experience this normal attachment behavior. Let's hope his birthday party doesn't traumatize him too much!!

Tuesday Night Double Feature, Part II

Walking the walk.

Tuesday Night Double Feature, Part I

DJ Dexter working the boards.

On Par

These days, Dexter and My Bologna both:

• Enthusiastically give sloppy, wet kisses to Mommy
  
• Enjoy their daily walks and romps on the floor with Daddy
• Love getting their hair brushed by Mommy
• "Ask" for their dinners and whine when they want attention
• Get their poop picked up and deposited in a plastic bag
  
• Give "high 5's" on command
• Partake in an afternoon biscuit (usually each his own but there has also been plenty of biscuit sharing)
• Speak monosyllabically
• "Come" to Mommy when asked
• Pilfer food off of Mommy's and Daddy's plates
• Stop in their tracks when they hear a sternly spoken "no"
  

Developmental Burst

In the past 24 hours, Dexter has started "walking", waving, and clapping hands. All this despite a bad cold and no afternoon naps. If he starts speaking with real words tomorrow I'm going to freak. Does this mean he's now a toddler and not my baby anymore?

Restricted Access

Dexter now realizes that there are things to explore on the other side of closed doors and baby gates and if we leave one open (even for a minute) he makes a mad dash for uncharted territory then has a fit when he's returned to his restricted access area.