Learning to read the cues

As William nears his four-month birthday (Tuesday, Aug. 22!), he's becoming so much more fun. He's smiling and laughing so much. And he "talks." He'll get to cooing and oohing and aahing, and it's like he's participating in a conversation. He also has these funny little expressions that make him look like he's telling some vitally important story. He furrows his brow and then opens his eyes wide, as he jabbers in his own little language.

But what's really funny is if one of us says something like, "Is that so?" or "Really? I didn't know that!" and he just tips his head backward and laughs and laughs and laughs, as if he's so pleased that we understood exactly what he "said." It cracks me up, too.

And I'm also discovering certain tricks that are helping me to manage him a lot better. Maybe I'm just slower than the average parent, but it took me awhile to realize that you have to capitalize on the baby's very early signs of hunger or exhaustion.

If I look at the clock and figure out how long it's been since William last ate, I can usually predict if he's hungry again or if he can wait awhile. When he was little bitty, he would gnaw on his hand, and that was the sign that it was feeding time. Well, now that he's a big alert baby, he likes to gnaw on his hand because he is putting everything into his mouth. And unlike a toy, he can't drop his hand on the floor or in the crib. But if I monitor the time and generally keep an eye on his mood, I can usually figure out when to feed him. Also, if you pick him up and he's hungry, he often does the little bobbing-his-head-up-and-down on your shoulder thing. So that's another cue that I watch for.

If he begins rubbing his eyes or fussing a little, it's time for a nap. Wrap him in a soft blanky, close the curtains, and put him in the crib. He's much more likely to doze off than if I wait until he's really tired, because then he's too worked up to settle down. When I discovered this, it was a "eureka" moment. It really was. And because I'm more watchful for such signs, William is now napping more reliably, which is a huge relief. He's less tired, he's less cranky, and we're all happier. And I hear him now, waking up from his second nap in his crib today. Unfortunately, there's not usually an early sign for him waking up from a nap. One moment, he's silent, and the next moment, he's a human tornado siren. Ah well. Off I go!