It’s been a while since I wrote anything about Maxim here. He is doing just fine. The main thing he is occupied right now with is growing. I can’t believe how fast he grows. It seems that every time I go to work or focus my attention on something rather than him, he gets bigger. And havier.
He also works hard on developing his skills.
We get to hear an impressive array of sounds coming out of his mouth. Sometimes he can “talk” for as long as twenty minutes. He tries to repeat what is said to him. He also sometimes makes noises and expects me to repeat after him. He studies my reaction.
Maxim can control his hands way better now. He can occasionally pick things (think toys) up. He can pass stuff from one hand into another or hold an item with both hands. He also tries to touch everything he sees. If he succeeds in grabbing an item, he also tries to taste it with his mouth.
And he smiles a lot. I mean really a lot. He has different smiles too. The one I love most of all is the that one I get when he sees me after a long break and recognizes me. At first, he stares at me, studing my face very carefully. Than there is a spark in his eyes, he opens his mouth, smiles widely, than takes his eyes off me and turns his head slightly to look at something else, and than looks back at me with the full smile. It all happens in about two seconds. And it is like he is saying: “Hey who are you? Oh, wait, I know you… I’ve seen you somewhere. Yes, your face is way too familiar! I got it! You are my dad! It’s good to have you back. Now I can concentrate on something else, because I know you’ll be here. Hey, there is a table… Are you still here? Sure you are! Cool!”. Maybe I’m imagening it, but I serious – it looks exactly like this.
I know that both Maxim’s grandmothers worry a lot about us not taking him outside enough. These worries are based on our behaviour when one or the other grandmother was here to take him out. No that both of them are gone back to Russia, we are walking Maxim ourselves. I take him to the park when I come from my night shifts. Otherwise Olga walks him. Or we can go tother with Olga. In fact, Maxim is spending so much time outside that the skin on his face and hands started to get a brown tan, although he is always in the shadow.
That’s about all I remember at the moment. Stay tuned for more to come…
