It’s not much of a surprise that Mike and I would have a boy who is a serious thinker. Several people, both familiars and strangers, have remarked that Michael is the kind of kid the wheels in whose head one can always see turning. It’s true that Michael is quicker to observe situations from a […]

I waffle on whether or not Michael is the kind of kid who needs to be pushed into new things. Sometimes I think he does, and sometimes I think pushing him just backfires and makes him more cautious and suspicious the next time around. Going too quickly with lumpy foods has just taught him to […]

For a long time at our house, the world has been divided into two categories: car and not-car. For example, toys: everything not in Michael’s rather broad definition of “car” (see photo for an illustration) is of passing interest, but everything classified as “car” can always distract him from unhappiness. I think he now even […]

Michael is one year old today! We are so blessed to have him as part of our family. He is strong, generally healthy, sweet, lovable, and just an all-around wonderful kid, a gift from God! We are also grateful to God for the strength to get through this roller coaster of a year. But we […]

The baby books I’ve looked at say that, by twelve months, a child should be able to say certain simple words, like “mama,” “dada,” or “uh-oh.” Michael says none of these; instead, he says “Ga!” “Ga!” is an all-purpose exclamation that has shown itself to be remarkably versatile. For example, “Ga!” plus pointing a finger […]