Month: March 2009

Three-Month Update: Art Appreciation

Gage moves around in his crib. A week before his three month birthday, he rolled over from his chest to his back. Hooray! Maybe he’ll be an early walker like big sister. Mommy is predicting that he’ll be walking by the time we don him in the pumpkin Halloween costume.

Gage is enamored by Austen’s artwork and stares at it, complaining when it’s moved out of view. Mommy ran to Amazon.com and ordered some black and white geometric-image cards, as well as some books. He loves them all.

Sadly, Gage rarely melts in your arms now. He’s working on his small motor skills, so he jerkily moves his arms and legs whenever he’s awake — and even bobs his head a lot. When he’s tired, he goes a little spastic, voices some loud complaints, and needs to be rocked, patted and soothed into sleep. He doesn’t just drift off to sleep like the most easy going babies.  

Gage is not into toys yet, but he loves to look people in the eye and “talk” and smile with them.  He stares at lights and the TV, but his dangling playmat toys haven’t really captured his interest yet.  Mommy can’t help but compare him to his sister who LOVED toys at around his age:  they were her constant obsession.

Gage really loves his bouncy seat, his bumbo chair and his car seat … although now he wants the car to always be moving and the bouncy to be bouncing. More work for Mommy and Daddy.

Often Mommy likes to walk around with Gage in a sling. Daddy think he looks squished but Mommy has had success holding him this way in at playdates and parties when he’s not happy to be sitting in his car seat on the floor or laying on the floor playing. The motion of walk and the patting by mommy seem to make him happy.

Unlike when he was first born, he doesn’t seem to need to be cuddled up close to someone to stay warm or covered with several blankets to sleep. He still likes blankets and being held but it’s not a constant thing for him anymore.

Sometimes Mommy puts Gage on the bed or on the floor to look around and check out the scene. He’s definitely starting to pay more attention to his big sister, although she’s a little too animated for him sometime.

Gage now weights 15lbs 3ounces and is 25.75 inches long.  

Doctor Grandma

Forget homeopathic remedies (no wet socks for Gage)! Who needs traditional medicine! Give us female Indian doctors.

Gage went to the hospital for a follow-up exam (which he passed with flying colors). His doctor was an Indian woman who superficially resembled Grandma Mindy. As soon as she leaned over him to listen to his heart, he started cooing, patiently waiting for an anticipated “Coo!” in response. He didn’t get a “Coo” but he was undeterred and continued to smile and coo for the entire exam. The doctor commented on how amazingly friendly he was, without realizing that he’d mistaken her for his grandmom.

Mommy told this story to Grandmom and Chacha and everyone got a good laugh from it.

Nicknames

Sumo Baby (He works hard to maintain his sumo wrestler physique)
Beefcake
Gagey (Austen’s favorite)
Gage-pinder (Sikh version of Gage)
Sweet Pea (our family’s generic nickname that applies to all family members)
Little Guy
My Little Sweetie (Mommy’s nickname for Austen and Gage)

Absolutely Amazing: Gage’s Art Appreciation!!!!

Gage is totally enamored by Austen’s drawing. Show him one when he’s fussy and he stops fussing and starts cooing and smiling. If you stop holding the artwork in front of him, he complains until you return it to position. We know this is hard to believe. Dada didn’t believe it until he saw it first hand. Grandma and Grandpa Rodey are amazed when they see the phenomenon in action. Mommy has never heard anything like it, except maybe a philosophy professor discussing his child’s love of stim mobiles.

Mommy first discovered this when picking Austen up front art class. Austen’s colorful collage of painted foam peanuts was in her hand, so she showed it to Gage. His eyes fixated on it and he stop fussing about being stuck in his car seat and stared, following it up and down with his eyes, his brow furrowed. Later when he was shown a sticker-adorned marker drawing by Austen, he said “Ahhhh” and did his toothless grin.

Mommy was so excited about Austen’s artistic potential that she packed up three of Austen’s drawings, got Austen to write her name and her cousins’ names on them, and sent them out in the mail. 🙂 Miss Liz, Austen’s art teacher, says she should continue at a special art school next year.