Its boating season! Silas has been on three boat rides now and by the third one he figured out if the engine was on and the boat was moving, it equated to the best sleep he'd had in months...because he's only been alive for months.
 |
Silas on Dave and Nancy's Boat
|
 |
| my first time wake boarding since the summer before last! |
At the ripe old age of 5 months old Silas almost feels like a little boy he has grown so much both physically and mentally. He is very attentive, grabbing at everything and makes a lot of noise to communicate with us. The big milestone he has reached for this month is the ability to ROLLEEEE. He roles to travel these days.
He has also started going to daycare very part time. We chose Emmanuel Baptist Childcare because of their five star rating, recommendations from friends and the over all feel of the place when we visited. It has been EXTREMELY hard for Andrew and I to leave him there. However, Silas seems to be transitioning well. He is content when he comes home ( although cuddly) and his naps have become longer and longer at daycare.
I never knew I would have this kind of guilt over leaving my child in the hands of a stranger. The idea that you are not doing your duty as a parent by always caring for your new little love. It would be ideal, of course, if we all still lived in communities like the !Kung San where babies and mommies are never separated, babies are never alone and grow up around the same small group of people and kids.
Alas, American life ( and much of industrialized countries) is not a fluid existence between family and the attainment of sustenance and other life goals. We intend to keep the daycare part time even when school starts in the fall in order to keep the daycare/home-life contrast in moderation. I read a number of research articles and reviews on childcare centers and their effects over time on children to help myself and Andrew come to terms with this change. Lucky for us, the research seems to support good quality daycare as a positive learning environment for infants, toddlers etc. In moderation of course, good quality daycares seem to help babies move forward more quickly in lingual skills, motor skills, social skills etc., because of the social interaction they receive while at these places. The more involved the teacher is with the infant, toddler etc., the more socially well rounded that child becomes later on. So, with waning guilt and research laden justification, we bravely go where many parents have gone before...trusting our baby to have experiences beyond ourselves and out of our control. With this in mind, Silas has continued his sippy cup learning curve. Some days are better than others, but when he's hungry, he'll knock back a few ounces.
I now feel bad for mom's that have to pump all day long!
 |
Adorable! Although not the actual
sippy cup he's feeding from right now! |
Silas loves some bath time. He now actively plays with the cup I use to pour water on him while he sits in the tub and is becoming more and more accustomed to water splashing in his face. I figure it is better he get used to water in his face for all of the swimming he will be doing later on. He also has a great reflex for holding his breath! If I dump water on his head quickly or near his mouth he'll automatically hold his breath!! Amazing!
 |
| little bean! |
