How Long Till Cruising?

Poor John has a bad cold, so last night was rough. Today was rough too. At least John found time for some smiles throughout the day in between being clingy and irritable.

John is desperately covetous of our remote controls, so today we gave him an old remote control to a piece of equipment we no longer use. His dream fulfilled . . .
Sweet boy has been pulling up on furniture for about a week. I was pleased with this until today when several times I witnessed John transfer himself from one piece of furniture to another, such as from the Exersaucer to the nearby couch. It dawned on me with some dread that this is the beginning of "cruising," isn't it? What if he is an early walker?!

I created a new "game" with John a few days ago. I must have been tired because I was thinking of the Alien movies: when the aliens are in their small spider-like form, don't they suck onto the faces of their victims? I was trying to keep John happy in the back of the van so I began using my hand to "sneak up" on his face and suck onto it. Well, he would laugh every time, then wait in anticipation, then get so excited he'd begin laughing before my hand started sneaking up on him. It's all very goofy and I'm rather embarrassed to post the videos, but one of the grandparents asked for them. Click here and here!

John still does not clap his hands together, so sometimes I try to show him how to do it. Before now he has mostly just stared at me. This evening when I would clap, he would wait for me to finish, then clap his knees excitedly. I'd clap my hands, he'd clap his knees. So, we got that on video too (recording ends when John starts to cough): click here.

Our boy is beginning to like being chased. Each night when I carry John up the stairs to his bath, Daddy "chases" him up the stairs, causing John to laugh and jump in my arms. And does this boy love his baths! As he watches me get the bath items ready, he shrieks in excitement.