Walk and Talk

This morning, I took William out for his first stroll. The weather was finally warm enough to let him out of the house for the first time since he come home early Friday morning. He enjoyed looking around at all the scenery but grumped whenever the stroller stopped. It looks like we just might have Motion Junkie #2 in our family.

It has been interesting to observe the various skill sets William both possesses and lacks. He seems to be right on cue when it comes to babbling (he can say "Muh-muh," "Guh-guh," "Da-Da" - and of course you know we're flattering ourselves to think he's saying our names). His fine motor skills are right where they should be; just watch him rake a surfboard rice cracker into his fist and shove it into his mouth. We're still working on his sitting up, but I'm confident he'll get there within a month. Already, he has made good progress in the days he has been home.

It has also been fascinating to see the quirks that are very likely a byproduct of orphanage life. For instance, most babies his age will willingly let you manipulate their arms into a carseat or highchair harness. Moving William's arms is like moving Mount Olympus. He just hasn't had the experience of being strapped in very often, if ever.

Reading is also probably a new experience for him. Most babies to whom books are read on a regular basis have a modicum of patience for looking at the pages and even turning them themselves. Here, too, I'm guessing St. Lucy's staff just didn't have the time to spend reading with the babies one on one. Thus far, William has shown little tolerance for reading board books with me. But with a lot of consistent TLC, we will get there, and if I have anything to do with it, we will raise a reader.

But as for the present, we are enjoying watching our baby discover and learn in his new surroundings, growing from one day to the next. That is enough for now.