Handy Dandy

At just over five months old, Ryan is getting into the “exploring everything” stage. He’s finally getting some real control over his hands, and everything within his reach he wants to touch, taste, and manipulate.

He nearly always has something firmly in his grip, whether it’s his rag, my hair, his stuffed duckie, a frozen teether, or one of the toys on his exersaucer.

His hands are always as busy exploring as his eyes are! In fact, he’s often looking in one direction while his hands are grabbing at something in the complete opposite direction. There are too many things waiting to be explored to focus both senses on only one thing at a time! In his jumperoo, his eyes may be watching his shadow on the floor, but his hands are busy stroking and gripping the pleated fabric of the springs. In his exersaucer, his eyes are paying attention to the flashing lights on one side while his hands are spinning the steering wheel on the other. In my arms, he’ll look towards Daddy but reach over my shoulder to grab my hair. On the changing table, he looks toward the window on the far side of the room but his hands are reaching for the stuffed bear or the rag on his other side.

It’s amazing to watch him gain more and more control with each day. It used to be that he would only feel things when he accidentally brushed against them, then he learned to deliberately flail towards what he wanted, then he was able to specifically reach for something, and now with enough concentration he can pick something up with both hands and grasp it, move it around, and put it in his mouth. He’s getting bolder and more curious every day.

I can imagine that one day those little hands may wield a scalpel as a surgeon, or a paintbrush as an artist, or a baton as a conductor, or a wrench as a plumber. But I bet that even then, in my mind’s eye I’ll still be seeing chubby little fingers covered in drool reaching out to explore the world.