Today, Dimitri was given his first souvlaki from his pappou. Overall, Dimitri is an exceptionally wonderful eater. He will generally eat anything in front of him with no real complaints. George and I are in awe that he’s not a chunky baby, but realized that he DOESN’T STOP MOVING. And when I say that, I mean, he NEVER stops moving in the day! He can’t seem to sit still. We’ve seen some other babies his age that are happily looking at a toy, rattle or the ceiling with no real will to move. That’s most definitely not Dimitri. He is crawling all over the place, he pushes up on his feet, he rolls around, he sits up only to decide he wants to lie back, but wait, isn’t it best to crawl? We are fascinated by the amount of energy he expends every day. He is no longer really interested in being held. He mainly likes to be on the ground with a bunch of bowls and spoons.

All this to say, that while Dimitri will eat anything, he most certainly expresses more favorable behaviour when given something very tasty. Here’s a pic with his pappou, having his first souvlaki!

Dimitri + Box = 100% Cuteness

Today, the monster in me came out. How is it possible that the most beautiful, angelic, loveable and sweet baby can bring such an ugly side of me to the surface? Dimitri did not sleep at all today, except for a 15 minute power nap that ended in screaming and wailing. I did my best to be patient. We went out for lunch, I played with him, we came back home, I patiently awaited signals that said: “Mama, it’s time for bed now”. Alas, 2:00 rolled around and still nothing. I struggled for two hours trying to convince Dimitri of the importance of sleep. In the meantime, he was caught between two moods – 1) This is the most terrible crib in the world, I feel tortured and I will cry so loud I will scare the neighbours, and 2) Hey, this crib is kinda fun. Check out that sleep sheep in the corner, let me play with him and show him just how cute I am.

I lost my cool. I lost my patience. I lost every ounce of sanity I had left. Who would have thought that a 20-something pound baby can torment you like that? I will not speak of the actions and words that came out of me at times today. I am too ashamed to write them down, where they will forever remain real. But here’s how it ended: Dimitri finally fell asleep in my arms. Right before falling asleep, he looked up at me with the saddest most beautiful eyes and these pouty lips. He closed his eyes and leaned on me, comforted to be in my arms. And I cried, and cried and cried. I asked him to forgive me so many times. I stared at this little peaceful being sleeping and realized that I am a terrible mother at times. This is the beginning of the many mistakes I will make as a mom. I can only hope that my son will forgive me as easily in the future as he did today. I hope that he can always find comfort in his mother’s arms, even when his mother lets him down.

Just a little post to reflect on our day. Will try to do these as often as I can.

Dimitri woke up with the biggest laugh as always. He now knows how to sit up, so we usually find him in his crib trying to climb out of it. I gave him his bottle while George got ready for work. Those 10 minutes are probably the favourite part of my day. My son in my arms peaceful and angelic. My husband hopping around the room trying to make our son laugh (and almost always succeeding).

We then had a healthy breakfast (eggs, tomatoes, bacon, manchego cheese and a glass of milk) and I drove George to work. The rest of the day consisted of playtime with Dimitri’s grandparents. He loves them very much and gives them the cutest smiles. He’s at the starting stages of crawling now and it is simply so fascinating to see him struggle between the need for independence and then the want of a hug after an exhausting attempt at crawling. Here is a little video of Dimitri and his first little independent moves! His personality is really starting to shine these days. He’s a giggler, he’s demanding, he is discovering his voice and alternates between sweet little whispers and ear-ringing screams…

Dimitri also played in the water today. He loves splashing his little feet around and concentrates hard on trying not to get the water on his face. He has a fascination with animals, especially dogs.

His bedtime routine was pleasant as always. Bath, massage, bottle with A Child’s Gift of Lullabies and bed. What can be more beautiful than watching a baby sleep? It puts our whole life in perspective. Some days are hard, I must admit. I am not sure if there could be anything more challenging than the constant demands of taking care of a baby. There are moments where I reflect on the times I had to myself – free to do what I wanted. But then I look at that beautiful face and I see him smile at me, loving me with absolutely no conditions yet. He accepts me as I am and I am the most important person in his world. And all is forgotten. Life has a new meaning with this little soul in it. George has new meaning as a husband and father. My days are blessed and beautiful. I will forever be grateful for these moments and will always look back at these days fondly.