Patrick, the Player

The exciting event of yesterday was my check-up at the doctor. It was somewhat less than exciting for me, but Patrick had a blast. When we walked in the waiting room, it was mostly full, sweltering hot, and silent as a tomb. After a few minutes I realized the wait was not going to be as short as I'd hoped, so I pulled Patrick out of his carrier. He immediately made it his mission to break the tension in the room and get every person there to smile at him. It certainly didn't take him long to meet those goals. In a room primarily full of pregnant women, they definitely can't keep their eyes off a baby, especially one who is doing his best to get their attention. It was hilarious watching him flirt. He pulled out all his tricks: smiling, laughing, chattering, standing up, and snuggling with Mommy and acting shy. I think if he could say audible words, he would have started asking for phone numbers.

The first woman he started flirting with was a NICU nurse who was eager to hear Patrick's story. Patrick must have recognized her love of babies the way he kept trying to get her attention the whole time we were there. Another woman Patrick kept staring at had her newborn baby with her. That woman told us her son was just under two months old and already wearing 3-6 month clothing. I recognized the onesie the baby was wearing; Patrick had worn the same one to bed the other night, except in a smaller size. We all got a good laugh out of that.

We had to wait over an hour before being sent to a room, so Patrick was getting bored, fussy, and sleepy by the time I saw the doctor. A nurse snuck in during my exam to steal him to keep him from crying anymore. It was great watching how easily he adjusted to being held by someone new, even when I was out of eyesight. Maybe it helped that she was also the mother of a six-month-old. Patrick seems to have an instinct about people who deal with babies daily or just really love babies. He gravitates toward these people everywhere we go.

By the time we got home, we were both completely exhausted. Patrick found just enough energy to eat before crashing completely, but he was too tired to stay awake for his solid food first. I managed to stay awake to eat but collapsed on the couch the rest of the evening. I'm not sure what exactly was so draining about the outing, but I'm glad I had a quiet evening to recover. Both Patrick and I woke up more energized this morning.

Another big step he took yesterday was not getting a bottle all day. The last time we went to his pediatrician, he okayed ending his vitamins because he was getting enough nutrition from the solid food, but suggested continuing them until we'd finished the bottle. We finally drained the vitamin bottle on Wednesday night. It's weird not having empty bottles in the sink and not having to pump before bed. I think I can get used to this new routine.

I didn't get any pictures yesterday because of the doctor's appointment followed by the sleepy evening, but here's a video from a few days ago. I know you've all seen pictures of him playing in his gym, but it's fun to watch him bat at the toys and talk too.