It’s been a long time since I posted about Maxim’s skillset, so here it goes. Over the course of the last month or so Maxim has learnt a whole bunch of new skills. He also improved the old ones.
For starters, he can sit very good now. He can sit for as long as 15 minutes or maybe even more. It’s just that he starts crawling when loses interest in playing from the sitting position. He can’t yet put himself in the sitting position though. But he will, soon. He did a couple of times only by now when Olga and I saw him. It’s when he lays on his side, he can push his upperbody with his hands. He already has all the needed strength, both in his upperbody and his arms. He just can’t guess that he can use them to sit up.
Standing. Maxim’s legs are strong enough to hold his whole body weight for about 20 or 30 seconds. We just need to help him a bit not to fall on one of the sides. But we don’t provide any support for his weight. He seems to enjoy standing a lot. He looks around with this childishly amazed look and with the smile on his face. Never ever he cries or complains when he is standing or right after it.
Drinking from a baby cup. We started to give him fruite juices mixed with water in halfs. He drinks them all by himself from the baby cup, which is a normal cup, but with a two handles and a cover on top that provides for a smaller hole. That helps a lot when he throws the cup or turns it up side down.
Maxim’s crawling has improved a lot. He still prefers to crawl on his tummy instead of carrying his body on knees and hands. But his range and speed are impressive now. He can easily travel across and around the living room in circles. He can reach the bathroom and even kitchen, although we don’t let him much yet. This much of mobility requires more control over him. Before we could just put him on the floor and go around with our business, but not anymore. We have to check his location about every couple of minutes. He always goes for the loose wires and Olga’s slippers. These are two things he is not allowed to touch or taste.
While I am on the touching subject – his has more control over his hands than ever. He can grab things with any one of his hands and can change hands later without putting an object down. He can pick up stuff with both of his hands. His fingers got more … elastic. He has better control over them too. He likes to touch Olga’s and my faces. But he does so carefully, albeit his fast growing nails don’t help much.
Eating. Maxim’s diet now includes all sort of fruits and vegetables. Fruits are his favourite. He opens his mouth wide for them and asks for more when he is finished with the plate. He isn’t as enthusiastic about vegetables, but he eats them pretty good too. The only thing he turns his head away from is potato. Probably the taste is just too plain.
Going to sleep. Putting Maxim to sleep has never been easier. We just let him play until he is exhausted and until he starts asking for sleep. (Those long and sad ‘Eeeee’ complains.) When he is ready, Olga or I pick him up, give him a soother, and hold him for a couple of minutes. He calms himself down and even closes his eyes himself before falling asleep. We can put him in bed than and that’s it. He’s sleeping. It is not always that easy, but most of the times. And even when he doesn’t want to be put to bed, it still doesn’t take us anymore than 15 minutes to change his mind.
I’m going to stop now. I probably forgot something important, but so be it. I’ll have something else to write about next time.
Does Maxim drink fresh juice? By the way you did not like potatoes either, only later you began eating it with pleasure when I added some meat there.
We buy some bottled juice for Maxim. It is a special one – for kids. We mix it with water 1 to 1 and give it to him. He seems to enjoy it.
Originally, we were planning to give him fresh juices and fruits. But later we became concerned with all the chemicals and nitrates that Cypriot farmers use. Bottled and canned baby products undergo some serious tests and are safe for the baby health. The stuff that grows on local farms on the other hand is pretty untested. I think we’ll switch to fresh stuff when he’ll get a bit older and his digestional system will get stronger.