Gone are the days where derod and I can plonk gabe on our laps at the dinner table and just eat happily away without needing to be watchfully alert for his sudden and agile movements. He reaches for anything that's within range, and attempts for others that are out of range. Once while out with gijioe and family, we were happily chatting away, unaware that he has gone on to grab some plants behind derod! The blending-in-with-the-kitchenware thing is also going on rather precariously. He has managed to turn halfway round to the stuff behind him and all the thermos flasks and water containers have to be relocated once he's up there on the work surface. Shoelaces have to be double-knotted, spectacles have to be held on to, dangling stuff have to be kept out of the way... you get the idea.
Hold on for Dear Life
Since the end of the 4th month, gabe has taken a liking to holding on to, or shall I say gripping, the two sides of his bathtub while enjoying the splashing inside. It gets to the point where he looks like he's clinging on for dear life, with hands outstretched to the max while lying down in the tub, with only his head above the water (supported by me), and looking rather serious unless I decide to break away from the bathing commentary and do some amusing contortions with my face instead. The cling is so strong that unless I break it before lifting him out of the tub, I'll risk taking the tub with me onto the towel.
Mmmm Mmmmm...
What you hear most often from him now. Oh, that or the screams. Yes, he has taken to expressing himself with loud screams or a sudden shout. He has scared kind grandmotherly neighbours who stop to play with him, only to be jolted back (literally) with the "enthusiastic" reaction.
Standing Up!
Gabe has progressed from simply bearing a little weight on his legs to being able to stand for more than 10 seconds, and sometimes, attempting to take a few steps forward. I don't think he really understands the concept of walking. It's more of lifting a leg in excitement and placing it down a short distance forward. With this new ability, he has also started stepping on my body when he's being carried. He'll "walk up" from my hip to my waist and most often, places his right foot securely on my left hip.
The Koala Stunt
I've started attempting carrying gabe at the side, with his legs wrapped around my hip. To my surprise, the boy knows how to grip his leg around to lend some support so that it's really much easier to hold on to him.
Leopard/ Worm Crawl
When not on his twos, our friend is busy rolling away. The king size bed doesn't seem large enough for the active one. When he has reached the boundary of pillows and cannot advance further, he'll move upwards in something between a leopard and a worm crawl. When trapped at a corner ie the lateral and vertical limits have been reached, he'll somehow pivot on his head and arms, dig his feet and knees onto the bed, twist and turn and somehow, manage to get his body parallel to the other side of the perpendicular (if you know what I mean) and on goes the trail of moving upwards again.
Appreciate the View from Above
I've discovered that the boy likes to look at human and vehicular traffic and since our flat boasts a rather good view of the cross junction below, I'd done a trial test of placing him at the window. Turns out our boy can entertain himself, for as long as half an hour at one go, just watching the coming and going. But of course, you have to give him something for his itchy gums. As this week has been rainy, what better to complete the view with some music from the Carpenters as one lazily watches the slow morning traffic. (Oh, you'd notice gabe has taken to sitting up on his own on his tweety chair.)
