After putting out a request for toy suggestions on FaceBook, the majority response I got was "get out of your sweatpants and leave the house." Actually, this is the advice that I've been getting for weeks leading up to my stay-at-homedom. And today we actually did it. Well, part of it. I didn't change out of my sweatpants, which, in fact, were/are my pajamas, which I am still wearing now at nearly 8 p.m. But I did strap Gavin into the Baby Bjorn and snap a leash on Henri and go around the block.
Keep in mind, this is Michigan and it's cold here. So going anywhere, even just going outside, is a production. Everybody has to be all swaddled up and then after you get moving it gets too hot and nobody's happy. But I think I adequately dressed us -- well, I adequately dressed Gavin, anyway, I didn't even bother to put on a bra, but hey, it's my life. I bundled Gavin in his fleece University of Michigan winter thing (it's once piece, it has feet and little fold over sleeves and a hood. I'm sure The Children's Place has an official name for such a garment, but I think "winter thing" is sufficient) and put a little baby cap on his head under the hood. I put my jacket on but couldn't zip it since Gavin was on the front of me, but he kept me warm.
So we walked. Henri peed on things. I talked to Gavin pointing things out like, "Look, that is a house we don't live in. If we go in it the people will call the police," and explaining things like, "Dogs like to pee on fire hydrants. Dogs pee outside and babies pee in diapers. And that's okay but not forever," and, "We have to be careful because ice is slippery and it would really suck if we fell down." I am an optimist, obviously.
Another suggestion I got was to get him books. Well, he has LOTS of books. His mom and I are avid readers so our friends and family got him a lot of books. And I buy books for him compulsively. I have an Amazon.com Wish List of hundreds more. He likes to be read to, but mostly at night during wind-down time. During his day time awake periods he likes to be very active. Books right now seem frustrating to him because he lacks the dexterity to turn the pages (even in the big chunky kids books) and just sucks on the corners. Eventually I'm going to have to have the "books are not for eating" discussion with him. I'll let my wife have the big sex talk with him later on.
Gavin is pretty good at playing on his own. He loves his exersaucer, for example, which does not have room for both of us, and he can get pretty absorbed in some toys by himself for short periods. He tends to like things that are very busy and colorful and have lots of different parts and pieces and sounds. I bought him a bunch of organic tree-hugger toys and he expresses zero interest. None. ANYthing else, even trash (Kleenexes, etc. within his reach) interests him more. Alas.
I also do play with him a lot as opposed to toys. I'll lay on my back and hoist him in the air above me, or let him stand balanced between my knees and then knock him down (gently, of course, and I should add we're on the bed and by "knocking him down" I mean letting him fall back about two feet into the bunched up comforter. It's not like I'm cold clocking him or anything. That's his territory, anyway. He's really into pulling my hair, sticking his fingers in my mouth, nose or eyes, and slamming his 100 lb. skull against my face while I'm holding him). I have him stand on me and yell out, "Giant baby!" I kiss his cheeks and neck until he has a laughing fit. But I can't sustain this for non-stop one and a half to two hour play periods in between naps.
As for TV: no TV. Not even the Backyardigans, which has been so highly recommended to us.
Advice from my mom: "Take him for walks, and point out all different aspects of his world as you do. I did that with you and [your twin sister] Laura. That is how I taught you your colors and what sounds different animals make etc. You did, however, think that everything was a dog for a while and say "woof" when you saw some sparrows one day."
My father recalls that during our "everything's a dog" period my parents took us to the zoo and every animal we saw we'd say, "Woof woof." As he recalled it, "It was like going to the zoo with a couple of retards."
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