Our little lump is becoming less of a lump

Well, we’ve written plenty about Wally Ben and his…ummm…demanding nature (a nicer way to say he’s a little fusspot?). And now that he’s 7 weeks old (wow, already? really?) he is morphing slowly but surely from a little lump of a thing into a human being. The lump stage was fun, and even with all the crying we were madly in love with the little man. But I have a feeling God designed it just perfectly so new parents could figure things out gradually.

You start with a little floppy sack of skin and bones that sleeps a lot, “eliminates” (this is how a lot of books/articles refer to peeing and pooping. Apparently the authors of said books/articles haven’t read “Everybody Poops”), and by some miracle of nature it knows when it’s hungry and how to feed itself. Then, just when you have finished fumbling your way through learning the basics (because somehow it’s much more difficult for you to learn what to do than it is for the lump), “it” transforms into a “he.” And by that, I mean he starts doing some things–some silly and fun, some that present new challenges–that show that he’s just a little more human. Not quite personality yet, but the dawn of personality.

Here are some of the things I’ve noticed, and love, about my little man:

• He has an amazing smile. At five weeks old, I read he could start smiling any time. That very afternoon, Wally IV was home for lunch and talking to Wally Ben. I was in the other room and heard Wally IV say, “wait, are you smiling?” I ran in, and had no idea why Wally IV had even asked. Wally Ben’s whole face, cheeks, mouth, eyes, and even forehead were glowing with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen. The next day he smiled for his Great Mama May, and I cut the smile short by screaming because I was so happy to see it. Since then he’s smiled plenty, a few times a day, and many of his smiles are reserved for his daddy, who he very obviously loves and who deserved that first gummy show of delight.
• When he’s asleep and in the process of waking up, he grunts. A cute, low baby grunt. And I don’t mean for a minute or so–he goes on and on and on. In the morning, it can last up to an hour. Uh…pause…er…pause…uh, er. Cute, I think, but I can sleep through it. His dad, who is a lighter sleeper, may not enjoy it so much. Uh… er… uh
• He is obsessed with lights. If he’s awake and not in the mood to interact, he turns his face away and stares at the nearest light. He also likes these big pictures in frames we have up in our living room above the couch. While we watch regular TV, he watches his frames, and he could be entertained by them for hours, I’m sure.
• He will hold your hands, but he gets annoyed when you hold his. And he likes a good foot rub. It’s so easy! All it takes is a thumb to rub those cute little tootsies.
• He listens very carefully to new sounds. The other day I was feeding him, and he suddenly stopped eating and became very alert. I wasn’t sure what he was paying attention to, but then noticed the garbage truck was just outside picking up our trash. When it pulled away, Wally Ben went back to eating. What a curious little fellow! Observant, just like his daddy.
• He hugs me. When he is eating or napping on me, he drapes his arm around my back and gives me little pats or brushes, like he’s saying, Hey mom, you’re okay. His baby way of giving love.

We can’t wait to learn more about our little guy! Goodbye, lump, hello Wally Ben!