Reaching out

Being a mom, I think that just about everything my little guy does is adorable, but there are a few things that Jacob does that warm my heart quicker than anything else in the world. Several weeks ago, Jacob found his feet and began spending most of his spare time in the toe-holding position. On the one hand (or should it be foot?), I was thrilled. Afterall, it’s So. Darn. Cute. On the other hand (or foot), it meant that I was spending most of my spare time taking pictures of him in the toe-holding position, which meant I was accomplishing little else.

As much as I love the baby toe-hold, it is still only a runner-up in The Cutest Thing in the World Contest. In my opinion, the clear-cut winner has to be the baby reach.

I remember very clearly the first moment that Jacob reached out for me. It was a few weeks back, and he was in the arms of a good friend. I came near him and he instantly lunged, stretching his little arms towards me. It was one of those parenting moments you’ll never forget—partially because he nearly face-planted onto our kitchen floor.
It was also the moment that I realized our dear little one had a bad case of what they call “stranger danger.” Almost overnight, our formerly outgoing manchild seemed to become acutely aware of people outside of his usual circle. He would become shy, burrowing his face in our chests and clinging to us for dear life when there were lots of other folks around. When family members or friends would hold him, he would let out his best banshee yell, remaining inconsolable until he was back in the safety of our arms.

I had to offer more than a few apologies when folks asked to hold him during this time, but after a few weeks, his fear of other faces has calmed down. Still, he makes no secret about when he wants to be transferred from someone else’s arms back to either me or Tom. And, truthfully, it’s a wonderful feeling.

Before Jacob began showing clear-cut signs that he knew we were mom and dad (and that he liked us), we were feeling pretty insecure. Only kidding. Really, though, I often thought about how if we left him with friends or family to go out to dinner or a movie that he wouldn’t even notice we were missing. I felt a tinge of sadness at the prospect. I couldn’t wait for the moment when Jacob knew who we were and wanted us near.

Now, knowing that HE knows who we are and wants us around is amazing. As a parent, from the moment of birth, you think your kid is the cat’s meow and want to be near him all the time. But, when you know that he feels the same way about you, it may very well be the greatest feeling in the world.