A Day In The Life With A Seven-Month-Old
Well, it's official. Andre may look more like his daddy, but his personality is all me.
I consider myself lucky to be able to stay home with Dre during the day, pick up my daughter from school and help her with her homework, go to the various events during the day at her school. I know a lot of people who would love to be in my position. I work very hard, both during the day at home and nights and weekends at the bank. We barely make ends meet. But still, I feel lucky.
Now that Andre is getting older our daily routine has changed. He's awake more than he's asleep and he's able to interact with me more and more each day. I've discovered that raising a boy is much different than raising a girl. Or maybe it's just that my kids are at completely opposite ends of the spectrum personality-wise.
Let me give you a few examples of the games little Dre likes to play. His very favorite thing to play with, is whatever you may have in your hand. Remote control, telephone, the apple you're trying to snack on, the spoon you're trying to feed him with... You get the picture. Once he gets this object away from you, he loves to put it right in his mouth. Of course he gets bored of that rather quickly, so he flings the object with glee across the room. Usually he wings it behind him so it ends up under the couch or somewhere else that's a bitch to get to. Your cursing and muttering only serve to put a huge grin on his face.
His other favorite game is "make mommy go bald." Scroll down and you'll see a couple of pictures of me at the Halloween party. You can see that my hair is rather long. Dre delights in twirling it around his fingers and pulling on it with all his might. Let me tell you, for seven months, this kid has a friggin GRIP! As you yelp with pain he giggles with glee. The harsher you say no to him, the more hysterical he gets. He's given himself the hiccups from laughing so hard at mommy's distress. That's my boy.
I have a feeling that once he becomes mobile, life as I know it is going to become more hectic and stressful than I ever dreamed possible. He'll be one of those toddlers that's into everything and finds your anger very amusing indeed. He'll be one of those grade school boys that's constantly falling out of trees and needing stitches or casts every time he goes out to play. He'll be exausting. That's all Fran. But a lot of little boys are like that.
My personality comes in with his temper. His determination. His independence and stubborness. This kid wants what he wants when he wants it, and God help you if you don't instantly provide it for him. I can see tantrums and manipulative guilt trips. I can see me.
My mother has said to me on more than one occassion, "may you have a child just like you." Every mother's curse. I figured with the birth of my daughter that my mother did not have the power to cast such a spell. She was an angel from day one. Of course she had her moments, and still does, but in general her disposition is sweet, kind, caring. She wouldn't hurt a fly and makes it her mission to be EVERYBODY'S friend. She could never leave anyone out of a game or tease someone who is different. Sure she gets disappointed when she can't get what she wants, but she accepts it and moves on. She doesn't nag repeatedly for anything. She generally does whatever she's told and is probably the least selfish child I've ever met. She'd give you her last cookie just to make you happy.
However, just because the curse didn't come true with her, doesn't mean it's broken. Maybe I'm reading too much into hy infant's behavior, but I've had more than one relative say to me, "Oh boy Meghan, Andre is going to be a handful, he's going to be just like you." You'd think I'd be able to handle someone like myself. I guess we'll just have to see.
I'm not trying to say that my son is going to grow up to be a "bad kid." Even all the shit I've put my parents through, even all the shit I've put myself through, I don't think you could have ever classified me as a "bad kid." A strong-willed, instensely stubborn, indepent kid...yes. Those traits may be a handful in childhood, but I think that they all serve a purpose. I've pretty much learned how to control these parts of my personality (I said pretty much, I know I can still be a handful at times. heh) and use them more to my advantage. I'm hoping my son will as well.
The games my son plays now may be pretty much the same kind of games most babies his age play. It's the look he gets on his face, the way he shrieks...it's hard to explain. You'd have to see and hear it to understand. This is definitely my child. Face of an angel, spirit of a spitfire. Lethal combination? That remains to be seen.
Till next time...
I consider myself lucky to be able to stay home with Dre during the day, pick up my daughter from school and help her with her homework, go to the various events during the day at her school. I know a lot of people who would love to be in my position. I work very hard, both during the day at home and nights and weekends at the bank. We barely make ends meet. But still, I feel lucky.
Now that Andre is getting older our daily routine has changed. He's awake more than he's asleep and he's able to interact with me more and more each day. I've discovered that raising a boy is much different than raising a girl. Or maybe it's just that my kids are at completely opposite ends of the spectrum personality-wise.
Let me give you a few examples of the games little Dre likes to play. His very favorite thing to play with, is whatever you may have in your hand. Remote control, telephone, the apple you're trying to snack on, the spoon you're trying to feed him with... You get the picture. Once he gets this object away from you, he loves to put it right in his mouth. Of course he gets bored of that rather quickly, so he flings the object with glee across the room. Usually he wings it behind him so it ends up under the couch or somewhere else that's a bitch to get to. Your cursing and muttering only serve to put a huge grin on his face.
His other favorite game is "make mommy go bald." Scroll down and you'll see a couple of pictures of me at the Halloween party. You can see that my hair is rather long. Dre delights in twirling it around his fingers and pulling on it with all his might. Let me tell you, for seven months, this kid has a friggin GRIP! As you yelp with pain he giggles with glee. The harsher you say no to him, the more hysterical he gets. He's given himself the hiccups from laughing so hard at mommy's distress. That's my boy.
I have a feeling that once he becomes mobile, life as I know it is going to become more hectic and stressful than I ever dreamed possible. He'll be one of those toddlers that's into everything and finds your anger very amusing indeed. He'll be one of those grade school boys that's constantly falling out of trees and needing stitches or casts every time he goes out to play. He'll be exausting. That's all Fran. But a lot of little boys are like that.
My personality comes in with his temper. His determination. His independence and stubborness. This kid wants what he wants when he wants it, and God help you if you don't instantly provide it for him. I can see tantrums and manipulative guilt trips. I can see me.
My mother has said to me on more than one occassion, "may you have a child just like you." Every mother's curse. I figured with the birth of my daughter that my mother did not have the power to cast such a spell. She was an angel from day one. Of course she had her moments, and still does, but in general her disposition is sweet, kind, caring. She wouldn't hurt a fly and makes it her mission to be EVERYBODY'S friend. She could never leave anyone out of a game or tease someone who is different. Sure she gets disappointed when she can't get what she wants, but she accepts it and moves on. She doesn't nag repeatedly for anything. She generally does whatever she's told and is probably the least selfish child I've ever met. She'd give you her last cookie just to make you happy.
However, just because the curse didn't come true with her, doesn't mean it's broken. Maybe I'm reading too much into hy infant's behavior, but I've had more than one relative say to me, "Oh boy Meghan, Andre is going to be a handful, he's going to be just like you." You'd think I'd be able to handle someone like myself. I guess we'll just have to see.
I'm not trying to say that my son is going to grow up to be a "bad kid." Even all the shit I've put my parents through, even all the shit I've put myself through, I don't think you could have ever classified me as a "bad kid." A strong-willed, instensely stubborn, indepent kid...yes. Those traits may be a handful in childhood, but I think that they all serve a purpose. I've pretty much learned how to control these parts of my personality (I said pretty much, I know I can still be a handful at times. heh) and use them more to my advantage. I'm hoping my son will as well.
The games my son plays now may be pretty much the same kind of games most babies his age play. It's the look he gets on his face, the way he shrieks...it's hard to explain. You'd have to see and hear it to understand. This is definitely my child. Face of an angel, spirit of a spitfire. Lethal combination? That remains to be seen.
Till next time...
posted by Meghan at 11:45 PM
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