WEEK EIGHT

My little Oliver is growing so quickly it’s incredible. I have literally watched his eyebows grow in with every feeding. This week has been amazing for developments. He is so much more aware this week I feel that he is taking in everything that I say and do. He studies all the features of my face intently as I read and talk to him. For the first time I feel like he is really listening to me so I talk to him constantly through the day, not feeling so silly anymore. I tell him about everything that I’m doing. “mommy’s just making your bottles I’ll be done in a minute,” “Mommy’s just shaving her legs so she doesn’t look like a hairy monkey, do you know what noise a monkey makes?” He reacts to my voice with different coos and awws. He has suddenly gone from a little ball of flesh to my newest companion. He looks at the pictures in his book as I read to him kicking his legs with excitement. He loves looking at the pictures. And best of all are the smiles. Oh the smiles. They give me butterflies.

One after noon I was feeding him on the couch watching a bit of tv. After a minute or two, I glanced down at him and the bottle was out of his mouth and he was looking up at me his eyes big and bright, a huge toothless grin on his face. I did what any mother would do in that scenario; I started crying of course! I am so in love with this little creature, and for all the fussiness, crying and lack of sleep (which is still an on going battle) this moment made everything so far worth it.

This week also saw the swing become my new best friend and loathed enemy all in one day. I was so pleased when I put Oliver in his swing after it had been folded up for weeks and he actually liked it! Not only did he like it he fell asleep in it. A miracle! Thank goodness it wasn’t going to go to waste. I think he likes it better now because he can actually see the little mobile more clearly as he became mesmerized by the spinning sea creatures. I even managed a little cat nap while he was in it…amazing.

So when he woke up at 4:30 one morning and wouldn’t go back to sleep, I scooped him up and brought him downstairs and buckled him in for a ride back to la-la land.

This is where my feelings towards the swing took a drastic turn for the worst. As I’ve mentioned my baby is not one for gentle motion. Remember the vigorous bouncing and rocking? Well, then of course it should come as no surprise that he will only sit in the swing if it’s on level 6. Now, my question to you and the swing makers out there is why does it take the thing so bloody long to kick into level 6?!? So here I am holding the soother in Olivers mouth, shushing in his ear watching the arm of the swing sloooowly warm up and slooowing start ticking as he starts squirming and kicking impatiently. I am loosing time fast. I know it’s all over when his face turns a lovely shade of red and he starts wailing. This baby will wait for no man…or swing as the case may be. Biting down hard on the back of his soother I pick up my screaming baby cursing the blasted thing and give it a good kick. I know it didn’t help matters but it sure made me feel better.

**END NOTE**

I would like to make a formal apology to all the swings and ‘swing makers’ out there. As it turns out the batteries were nearly dead. I have now added ‘put batteries in the charger’ to my nightly list of chores to avoid further abuse to my swing and my foot.