Dynamic duo

By Published On: January 14th, 2016

“Akira, did you know that I was waiting for you […]

“Akira, did you know that I was waiting for you to come out of Mama’s belly? And now you’re here! And now you’re a big boy. I love you, but you know that, right?”
Oh. My. Heart.
While sitting at our dining room table trying to decide what to write about for this week’s post, I overheard the above words come out of Anaïs’s mouth as she and Akira were hanging out in their bedroom alone. He coos and smiles at her whenever they’re with each other, and I get some much-needed decompression time in the form of quietly folding laundry, tidying up the kitchen or getting some vacuuming done.
IMG_7647It’s a strangely liberating feeling to be able to let them be in their own world without really leaving them at all. It’s one of the things I love about having an almost-4 year-old. She’s just old enough to help me out with small tasks (grabbing diapers and wipes for me, tossing the dirty diapers in the trash, “reading” him a story while I take a quick shower, etc.), and it gives her a sense of responsibility. She’s at a very precocious age now where she isn’t a toddler any longer but isn’t quite a big girl just yet. In any case, she’s turning out to be an amazing help to me, most especially when I need a few minutes to myself.
Akira is now 5 months old. That, in and of itself, is really incredible. In five short months, he’s gone from a colicky to really happy and relaxed. He seems much more comfortable in his own skin and is showing a genuine curiosity in the world around him, most especially things within arm’s reach. With that curiosity comes an insatiable urge to put everything in his very drooly mouth. At his last appointment, I asked our pediatrician if it was too early for him to be teething. Guess what: It isn’t. Although no teeth have cut through just yet, his gums are swollen, and his instinctual urge to gnaw on whatever he can continues. Thankfully all of this isn’t causing him any noticeable discomfort!
He rolls over from back-to-belly and belly-to-back with such ease these days, and his neck control is amazing. It’s so awesome to be able to hold him seated in my lap and not worry about him throwing his head back because he doesn’t know what else to do. Another awesome thing to witness with him is his sociability. He loves being around other people. On New Year’s Day, we went to a barbecue hosted by friends of ours. He was being passed around from person to person and couldn’t be happier about it. He laughed and smiled, made generous eye contact and didn’t fuss once. It’s a pretty awesome feeling to see that our very young baby can party like a champ.
I can tell that he’s going to be a very outgoing little boy, especially since his older sister is already giving him a run for his money. Then again, she’s also showing him the ropes and paving the way for greatness to come.