More new tricks

Before Oliver was born, I was nervous that I might find him somewhat “boring” as an infant. This sounds cruel, but I truly did think about this. I love interacting with others, and I knew that my newborn would be less interactive than all the other people I love. I figured that he likely would not be able to sustain a conversation at birth, and even if he could, his jokes would be immature. Hence, I worried that I might find my own son boring.
I was nervous that I might not appreciate the little things that make this boy incredible, only because I would be looking forward to all of the wonderful things we could eventually do together. I might be so excited for all the fun interaction to come that I might be disappointed in his behavior as a newborn.
If you have read this blog even once, you know that these worries were all for naught. I have found this little guy to be irresistible, entertaining, hilarious, kind, loving, and appreciative.  Even without coherent sentences, he enriches my life through meaningful interaction every day.
With all that said, it has been really fun to watch his communication skills develop over the past month. He now understands us far more than I realize, he remembers past interactions, and he anticipates our reactions to him. Here are a few of the little monster’s new tricks:

• Peek-a-boo: He recently initiated this game with me by covering his face with a bowl and then pulling it down to reveal that he had not actually disappeared. I am shocked every single time.
• High fives: The little guy has been doing this for a while now, but he is now starting to recognize the “fist bump” as well. I will let you know when he is able to throw up a peace sign.
• Chasing: He loves chasing his parents, but not nearly as much as he loves being chased. He once decided to run away from me while I thought I was still being chased. It took me a while to realize that he had changed the rules.
• Hugs: Easily the sweetest of his new expressions of affection, this occurs almost every night as he goes to bed. After being put in his bed, Oliver will get up and hug his parents before lying back down.

My baby was never boring. He has always been this cool. Even without having shared deep conversation with him, I can honestly say that he is extremely interactive. He talks, he laughs, and he smiles. He is interactive enough to make my wife and I feel very loved. Even with that knowledge, though, I can’t wait to see him learn a few more tricks. Maybe he can learn to cook me dinner.