Standing

I am sorry for the long blogging hiatus. Vanessa's and John's move, Christmas, Nate's getting a cold and giving it to us--those are my excuses. I suddenly got immersed in Democratic politics. I think I will predate some posts, so the pictures aren't so out of date.

Nate has made spectacular advances in the last five weeks. He adjusted easily to the new apartment. Everyday he discovers new inadequacies in our childproofing. He was a crawler when he moved in. Now he is primarily interested in standing. He effortlessly pulls himself to a stand on anything. He has learned that drawers are for pulling out.

When he wants to reach something, he stands up, gets on tiptoes, and stretches his arms to reach up as far as he can. The third shelf of bookcases and the third drawer of chests are his goals. When he first pull himself to a stand, he didn't know how to get down. He needed a spotter about six inches away. Then he mastered getting down, so occasionally I got to sit in a chair. Now he is almost always carrying something and using one hand to stand up. Unexpectedly he then lets go. He can stand by himself for about 10 to 15 seconds. He often seems to be trying to stand holding on to nothing.

Surprisingly, he has not shown much interest in cruising and walking with our holding his hands. Of course, some babies practice much longer than others before they try to walk. Caution doesn't not seem to be Nate's defining characteristic.