Tag: parenting

Today is Father’s Day. It is the first time I celebrate this holiday and it is the first time someone (who do you think? Olga, of course) has congratulated me with it. I feel strange and proud. And confused maybe. I don’t know what to do.

I never new the holiday existed until I came to Cyprus and met lots of people from different countries. Back in Russia noone celebrates this day. Neither it seems to be a big deal here, on the island.

Anyway, congratulations to all dads out there. Enjoy your parenting days as much as I do!

Maxim was getting ready for a roll for some time now. He could almost do it. He could lay on his side for minutes, trying and pushing, and trying and pushing againg. But he never did it from start to finish on the plain surface.

Few minutes ago I put him in to bed. He was half a sleep and I thought that he would fall asleep in a second. I went back to the living room and enjoyed the silence for a couple of minutes. Than I heard some strange sounds coming out of the bedroom. It was Maxim. He sounded like he was doing something. Something hard. I went back to check upon him and guess what I found…

Maxim was completely awake. He was laying on his belly with both of his legs between the wooden bars of his bed! And he was trying to crawl away. That part failed, of course, as neigher of his legs could push him away from anything.

So, today we mark an important milestone in Maxim’s development – rolling from back to front. Starting from today we’ll have to give him even more attention as he can roll-n-fall. But both Olga and I are very glad anyway. We’ve been waiting for this day a long time now.

While being a father is all fun, there are, surely, some tough moments. For example, consider today.

Timeline

4:00am – Last shot of vodka and beer at the birthday party.
4:15am – Home. Bed.
7:00am – Up to take Maxim for a walk.
10:00am – Back home.
…

I was still pretty drunk when we went for a walk. Not that I was doing all sorts of stupid things, but my coordination needed more attention than it usually does. Finally, when we arrived to the park and Maxim fell asleep, I layed down on the bench and had a little nap myself.

I vaguely remember people passing by, looking at me and Maxim and trying to figure out what we were doing there. It probably looked like a selfish mother kicked us out or something.

During the last few days Maxim is learning to sit. He is probably bored with the lay-on-your-back point of view and thus shows great interest towards things around him. He also likes to be independent – sit by himself, rather have someone show him around.

His back is way too weak to support his sitting properly, so we don’t let him sit too much. But he is trying always. Even when I try to lay him down, he pushes his head up, and tries to follow it with the rest of his body.

When everything else fails, he pulls himself up using his pacifier strap. Now that does look really hilarious!

Anyway, Maxim can sit for about a minute on his own, when his back rests on something. Like armchair back, or my belly. After that, he is usually losing balance and fall on one of his sides.

I guess, he’ll be sitting all by himself pretty soon now.