A lot has happened this past year. One year ago, I held a wedding feast in town for those who are dear to me. Then, we discovered that my wife was pregnant. We spent the next few months renovating the house and getting ready for the baby. We got new vinyl flooring and carpet for the first floor, moved a lot my parents' stuff back to their house, bought two pianos and a new car. Then, we had a baby, a beautiful baby boy.
In the three months since the previous update, my baby has steadily grown. Last update, he started smiling and laughing. Since then, he's taken more interest in his surroundings and his brain is noticeably developing. He is becoming a more complex person, and his personality is slowly coming up to the surface.
He's no longer satisfied with just eating and sleeping. He's started playing with his blanket and toys more, and most recently, has actually been looking for specific toys to play with. He enjoys playing with us, and likes to be carried around. He quietly observes everything around him, and starts to fuss when he's not being carried. While this display of interest is a welcome development, caring for him now requires more attention than before.
He's definitely changing - the funny faces he used to make when he was peeing or pooping are no longer appearing. In its place are funny noises that he makes now, presumably in an effort to emulate our voices. He has a wide vocal range. He can cry in a hysterical, high-pitched voice, or demand things in a low, commanding voice. Of course, his intentions are lost in the space between his brain and ours, but we are amused at his level of understanding, which are a promising sign of intelligence.
He's grown physically. Long behind us are the days when we would worry about him not making it, or getting injured from handling. He is now a healthy boy. For the first three months, he was getting fatter. Now, he seems to be growing both in length and in girth.
As of late, his appetite does not seem to be as voracious as before, as he is learning the feeling of being full, and rejects any additional input when he feels that way. He's become assertive. Also, my wife has started to feed him real food - so far carrots and apple. Also, I've been adding iron-fortified crushed rice into his formula, at the request of the doctor. Also, he has developed a habit of sucking on his thumb/fingers/hands. Having experienced different flavors, he is now experimenting by tasting everything. It is both cute and horrifying to witness the things that he puts into his mouth. But, it's fun to play with him, and deny him the taste of my fingers, which he is constantly plotting to lick.
He has been more active. He frantically waves his arms and legs around when he wants to be carried, like a turtle stuck on its back. He's just about learned how to flip over, so pretty soon, he'll be carrying himself wherever he wishes to go. It's interesting how naturally things just click one day, and humans naturally develop. One day last week, he just started flipping over. I guess he got tired of being on his back in one place all day. "If nobody is gonna move me somewhere new, I'll have to move myself!"
In other news, in these past three months, I've completed a little fully-carpeted room (something I've been wanting for years), built a small toolbox for my wrenches, and created a game using WebGL. My wife and I also watched Les Misérables on New Years' Eve. It was my first time, and it was neat. Not my cup of tea, but I'm glad I got to experience it.
We also had a game night on the second floor of my home, with my former co-workers. It had been years since we had something like that, and it was nice. Then, after they left, for the next few weeks, my wife and I enjoyed the kotatsu table that I made two years ago, which we played the board games on.
The days are going by fast. Sometimes, I feel like I'm swimming in the rapids with my head down using all my energy. I enjoy the moments where I can just relax and vegetate. This past year was full. Hopefully, this coming year continues to be full.
