Danger Boy Jr.

Name: Riley
Age: 7 mos.
Weight: 19 lbs.
Likes: Eating, puking, crawling, standing
Dislikes: Being left alone, EVER

So today was Riley’s 6-mo. check-up, a month late. It’s hard to get a doctor’s appointment that doesn’t interfere with naptime or preschool drop-off/pick-up! Anyway … the doctor confirmed what I have long suspected: my son is fully capable of sleeping through the night. Then she added, “But I’ve heard him scream, so I’m not going to tell you to let him cry.” Ha! Then she moved on to the importance of babyproofing the house.

You don’t have to tell ME. This child is hell-bent on following in his big brother’s footsteps -- LITERALLY. He’s trying to walk already!! He pulls himself up on anything and everything, then stands there with this huge self-satisfied grin. And then he does a “Look, Ma, no hands!” and falls flat on his butt. Hysteria ensues. [SIDEBAR: I love when people say, “Well, I guess that’s the way they learn.” No! No, it’s not! Babies and toddlers learn NOTHING from repeated self-inflicted injuries, I can assure you!]

Everyone knows boys are competitive and clearly, that starts at birth. Riley is determined to take his place alongside his brother in getting his photo on the wall of the closest ER. OK, I’m exaggerating -- slightly -- but you may recall that Miles’ nickname at age 9 mos. was “Stunt Baby.” And how about the (first) time we rushed him to the ER? Good times. Well, Riley’s hot on his danger-loving little heels.

In case there’s still someone out there who thinks the sooner babies crawl, stand, or walk, the better -- you are WRONG. It’s a nightmare. You can’t turn your back for one second lest the baby decides to rappel up the side of the TV cabinet or do chin-ups on the rim of the toilet. And once he’s tasted freedom, don’t even THINK about containing him in an Exersaucer or highchair unless you want to risk a high-volume hissy fit. Plus, he will wake himself (and you) at all hours of the night to “practice” his new skill.

I’ve heard about babies who sit on the floor for ages, who love hanging out in the swing or the bouncy seat, who took forever to crawl and even longer to walk. But I can’t relate. I can’t even remember when Miles started crawling, because I’m pretty sure it lasted no longer than a week or 2 before he moved on to walking, then sprinting. I can already tell the second kid’s going to be the same or worse. In case you’re wondering, THAT’S how I got my body back after each baby!

Now I’ve gotta run -- I’m off to stock up on ice packs, Bacitracin, and band-aids.

PLEA O’ THE WEEK: I’ve been blogging for almost 4 yrs. now, can you believe it? And since I would like to share my labor of love with as many people as possible, I ask all you lovely, loyal readers to consider nominating me for TheBump.com's Mommy Blog Awards in the Best Baby Journal Blog category. It might require registration, but that’s what Hotmail is for! It would mean the world to me. :)

VIDEO O’ THE WEEK: I can stand on my own 2 feet!