Thanksgiving and other Phases

Thanksgiving has come and gone and Teddy grows a more complicated man by the day. His "phases" change with the tides. Jenna and I are buckled into a roller coaster ride of wonder and anticipation. What will come next?

I'll begin by gleefully announcing that Teddy has dropped his beloved squealing. Praise the old Gods and the new. That habit couldn't have left our house fast enough. A lost, ravenous wolf may have found more welcome at our Thanksgiving dinner than Teddy's shrill exclamation of excitement. He has since replaced this noise in his repertoire with a lower volume, yet equally as odd, tongue and lip vibration. The lad sounds as though he's rolling his 'R's in rudimentary Spanish language class. It appears as though this noise is simply meant to express boredom - or for those of you who have glasses half-full - an expression of contentment. He may just enjoy the way the sound feels on his lips. Who is to say?

Teddy has also recently found the core strength of a mid-80's Russian gymnast. No more are the days of a wobbly young man perched atop his father's lap; both hands gripping tightly to the arms of a paternal tweed coat. Teddy now presents firmly in his stature and boasts the lower body strength of the average 1 year old (give or take). I'm proud to say that at 5 months old, Teddy stands on his own while supporting himself against a chair, table or stool. He needs work on his yaw and roll axes. His pitch, however, is perfect. This may or may not be standard for a 5 month old; however, I'll choose to not do the research and remain impressed by my little man.

Our little champion has seemed to either be unaware of the coming Christmas celebration or he has aloofly resolved himself to not caring. Try as I might to inspire a since of awe and excitement in the wee boy, Teddy remains most impressed by funny noises and faces that his father can produce. (Side Note: This past Saturday morning, Teddy and I were up before dawn and in our living room. A kung-fu movie was on the television. Teddy thought my karate skills were absolutely hilarious. He was gut-laughing at my overly elaborate tiger-style. I digress.) Nevertheless, I am SO excited about Christmas morning. Jenna and I have already purchased a small handful of toys for Teddy. There are further discussions into more substantial gifts as well.

The family recently attended a friend's one-year birthday party. Teddy sat quietly in my lap; in awe of the toys that little Brody was playing with on the floor. Teddy remained in unblinking, soldier-like attention has the birthday boy opened his gifts. The noise, the colors, the gifts and the paper wrapping were an incredible thrill. I'm really hoping that we (read: Santa) can bring about this same wonderment on Christ's birthday.

Update on Christmas to come!