In The Swing of Things

Wow it's been a month since my last post. I'm starting to get even lazier with this blogging stuff. Oh well, no one can blame me if I go missing from time to time. It's been a big month for us. Leo started at daycare and all signs point to him not getting kicked out. Woot! He seems perfectly at ease in the care of our wonderful neighbor and I love the fact that I'm just a few doors down during the day. It always makes me laugh when I see how excited the other kids are at having Leo around. A baby really is the eighth wonder of the world as far as 3 year olds are concerned.

I also took my first work trip this month. I only teared up once! Success! It was an odd balance of emotions - happy to be getting more fully re-engaged with work and getting to see my colleagues after so many months, exciting launch activities, NYC energy, etc. But of course that was all tempered by the sadness that comes from leaving home. And even just seeing another baby on the flight out sent me nearly over the edge. And he was six months old too! And adorable! Ugh. But all in all I'd say I fared pretty well and it made coming home so much sweeter. Of course upon returning home I was quarantined from Leo thanks to the travel cold I picked up. Sigh. So I spent the next two days not touching Leo. Literally. We're so paranoid about him getting a cold that I just looked at him and constantly dipped my hands in a Purell bath while Dad continued to take care of all things baby. Thanks honey. Double sigh. But this very sad state did not last too long and a couple of days after my return I was back to snuggling. And then the doctor let me know that I could've actually taken care of him without worry. Just wash my hands she said. Good to know.

And amidst all of this month's activities Leo turned six months old! I cannot believe it. His six month well baby visit was a success, the doctor is happy with everything...he's finally on the weight chart for his actual age! Fifth percentile! Boo-ya! Of course he's not yet on the chart for height, but whatevs. He'll get there. He's very alert and getting moreso each day. He has fully discovered his hands but not so much what to do with them other than grabbing our faces and sticking his hands into his own mouth. He hasn't quite figured out that tummy time would be so much easier if he'd use his arms to help himself up. He's doing full-on yoga poses as opposed to just leaning on his arms. He'll figure it out I'm sure. And this is where we both have to just smile and be thankful for the progress he has made and not stress about things we've yet to see. The comparison to other babies is harder and harder to avoid given how great he's doing. We see another six month old sitting up unassisted and immediately feel dejected. And then we'll just remind ourselves that he's on his own timeline. It can't be rushed and all will work out in the long run, however it needs to.

We're getting excited for the holidays...I can't believe it's almost October. And thinking about Leo gazing up at the Christmas tree, eyes as big as saucers, instantly puts a smile on my face. Yep, we're in the swing of things now.