Cruise Control

Things change so quickly around here. I swear you can't turn your back on these monkeys for a second because that's when they decide to do something new. I feel like I use the words "and then all of a sudden" an awful lot in this blog, but its just the way Owen and Will operate, I guess.

So please excuse the over usage once again, but all of a sudden Will is cruising. Now for all you non-parents out there who aren't in on the secret language you get access to once you get pregnant and start read fifteen parenting books a week, cruising in this context does not mean that William is joy-riding around in the stroller picking up hot babes (although he does that too). In this all of a sudden moment, it means that he is pulling himself into a standing position by griping furniture, and then slowly, shakily moving sideways along said furniture. Its very exciting and also pretty heart-stopping. I'm sure he's going to topple backwards at any minute and conk his head on the floor. It doesn't help that Owen is semi-cruising at the same time. He doesn't move yet, he just hoists himself up and then bobs up and down on the spot in excitement. But when the two of them are standing up on opposite sides of the room, looking and sounding for all the world like a couple of mini drunken frat boys, its difficult to figure out how best to ensure their safety. I feel like my head is going to spin off at any second from all the turning to and fro.

The funny thing is that they've started to stand up in their cribs too - both of them did it for the first time today. Owen's pretty good at gently lowering himself back onto his bum, but I don't think Will can figure out how to get down just yet. He's made a couple of shaky attempts but then aborted the manoeuver when he realised he'd have to let go of the crib rail. So he ends up standing and bobbing for minutes on end, laughing at his new-found talent, but also a little upset because his legs are getting tired. Bless. I put them to bed tonight and I swear he stood there for fifteen minutes. I tried to help him but he got annoyed with me, so I sat down on the floor and waited until he showed signs of wanting help. It was a sweet moment, sitting there in the early evening dusk and watching him contemplate how to make his way from one side of the crib to the other. His little chubby legs lifting up and down, his hands carefully sliding along the rail. He did really well. Eventually, when he started rubbing at his eyes (whilst carefully gripping the crib with the other hand) I helped him down and he went to sleep immediately. I think he's going to walk before Owen - he just seems to have more stability at this stage, and more of an interest in mobility. Owen's quite happy to bounce up and down on his backside for amusement.

Of course, this leads me to think about what happens after cruising, namely walking, and I am terrified of how to handle two mischievous monkeys tearing off in opposite directions at once. Anindita always seems so calm about Aiden and Andrew, but they actually appear to listen to her when she tells them to stop or come back or whatever. When my guys are crawling along towards something they shouldn't and I tell them to stop, they plop back onto their bums, look at me for a split second, give me a cheeky grin and keep going. I think I might be in for it with these two.

And all of a sudden its dinner time for me so all of a sudden this post is at an end.