On the Verge of Mobility

My son is poised to crawl. He is perched on the brink of a new world he (so far) knows nothing about. Up until now he has been a captive audience to whatever we graciously (and sometimes unknowingly!) set within his grasp, unaware of life’s possibilities just beyond his reach. His sister’s delicate tea parties and deftly created block towers are in no danger of being destroyed by an annoying little brother...so far. However, I fear the day is coming when I will be serenaded with the age old anthem of sibling rivalry, “he’s touching my things!” on a daily, perhaps hourly, basis.

I’m still able to plop my little boy down in one spot and be relatively certain that if I leave the room for a minute he will only travel as far as he is able by lying down and rolling (a process somewhat slower than crawling), and for now there is only one child for me to chase after. And since my daughter is ordinarily reluctant to stray too far from my apron strings, life currently remains in my control...more or less.

I know from experience that all this is about to change. One day soon my son will take off on all fours and never look back...inwardly I cringe when I think of it and sigh in relief when it ends up not being “today.”

Not because of the havoc it will wreak on my otherwise perfect life when he does figure out this preferred means of infant travel; but simply because it closes another chapter of his (and my) life. Watching him pull himself up to standing, or lunge forward from seated to up on all floors makes me nostalgic for the days he relied on me to support his head (unbelievably 2/3 his entire body weight!). And while I don’t feel the need to relive the first six weeks of his life when I often wondered if I may die of sheer exhaustion, I wish I could remember what it felt like to hold him when he was so (relatively) small. And were it not for pictures (only a few mind you – he is the second child after all), I am uncertain I could evoke from memory the image of how he looked as a wee babe.

Some people may think I should be practicing with him...moving his hands and legs for him until muscle memory kicks in to solidify the process, but I have never been one to rush my kids through this sort of developmental milestone. He will crawl when he’s ready, and while I won’t impede his progress, I certainly won’t be pushing him either.

As it stands he is still significantly dependent on me. He needs his Mom. For now, I will cherish every moment that he is stuck in my arms and forced to cuddle...the time is approaching when he may choose to run (or at least crawl away) from my hug offerings. And from all indications, when he becomes mobile, I better be on my toes...I have a feeling my daughter’s tea time is no longer safe and my perfect house of cards is about to tumble.