Perspective

Twenty one weeks.

I've counted the weeks, since Harry's birth, on the calendar and there's twenty one of them. Tomorrow (thursday), Harry is 21 weeks old and, in a couple of weeks, on the 1st November, he's officially 5 months old.

Five months.

Twenty one weeks.

It seems incredible to me, as I type this, that such a huge amount could have happened in such a relatively small time. It's less than half a year for us but, for Harry, it's literally a lifetime.

The pictures that I posted earlier help to see how Harry has physically changed over this time, but they can only convey a fraction of how he has developed emotionally and psychologically. He has grown from a creature driven by animal instincts of hunger, etc. to a fully formed "little boy" with a distinct persona - a character all of his own. And watching him change from one to the other has given Michele and I some of the happiest moments in our lives. Yes, I know that sounds over dramatic but it's true.

No matter how bad my day was at work, as soon as I come home and see my little boy greet me with a great big cheesy, dribbly smile, it all just melts away. It's like a drug. I suddenly feel warm and happy despite myself.

So just what has happened of note since I last put finger to keyboard? Well, I'm off work with a bad cold at the moment so, to stave off the madness that is daytime tv I thought I'd add some more to the story!

Harry likes his music

Specifically, a tune I started to sing to him at a very early age. I've always liked the tune "Around the World in 80 Days" - I think I had a music box with it on as a child myself - and I hummed the tune to Harry early on during a quiet moment. He seemed to respond by relaxing a bit and so, spurred on by the results, I've continued to sing it to him, about once a day.

When he's crying or in a state, I look him full in the face and start the tune. Immediately he stops and looks at me, into my eyes. Even if the tears come again, they never seem as bad as before. Since developing his face muscles, he always smiles when I sing the tune, and it's become sort of a "private thing" between us. I sing the song, and he knows I'm trying to soothe him.

Harry likes to play

Harry now has several play mats that he can lie on. They have different materials and hidden bells and other goodies to play with. He likes it for a while but then starts to cry so we take him off.

He seems to get the most fun out of the simplest things. We have a stock of muslin sheets, about the size of a large gentleman's handkerchief, and he uses them as comfort blankets, as well as impromptu toys. A game he loves to play is "peekaboo", with me throwing the muslin over his head saying "Where's he gone?" then, pulling the muslin away saying "There he is!" to his beaming face. Oh, and we've called the muslins "flobulators", after all the "flob" (saliva) they wipe off Harry's dribbly chin.

Harry is getting ticklish!

I know my Dad used to tickle me and I loved it, so it's time to pass on the great tradition and make my son roll about in laughter. A volley of short, sharp "raspberries" aimed at his back and neck makes him squeal and giggle and, if I join in the laughter it makes him laugh all the more. I've captured this a few times on my camcorder and it's lovely for Michele and me to play back these moments of fun.

A game I play now is, on coming home, to slouch down in a chair with Harry on my chest. He pushes up on his arms, looks around then giggles at me. I lift him up into the air and make silly noises - he loves it.

As a de-stresser, it's hard to beat...

Still growing....

He's still growing, and still smiling!