Before I get going, let me mention the new photo gallery I have set up from my new Mac computer. Loading pictures onto this blogger blog has become incredibly problematic, so hopefully this will be a nice place for you to see pix of the prince. I am just learning how to use it, so each time you go make sure to click Refresh so you can get the captions as I add them.
I've been thinking about what's around the corner for me in this wonderful new world of parenting that I'm living in. I'm trying to visualize myself doing all the right things in those moments at a crossroad... will I be able to keep my cool during a tantrum? will I know how to get Dominic interested in healthy activities and keep him from getting involved in unhealthy ones? will I have the strength to stand firm when necessary, proving to him that I can be trusted?
I'm thinking now of these things even though we haven't really entered the "discipline" phase yet. Dominic is really a good baby, thank God, and I haven't had too many moments where I've had to say "no" or put up with any fits or anything. So I'm using this time to research and plan what I will do when that time comes, so I'm not caught unprepared.
One thing that has occurred to me is that I recognize now a few metaphors for challenges I anticipate are coming later.
The first one is his hair. Dominic has pretty much always had at least a little hair since the day he was born, and it has pretty much always had a natural clockwise cowlick that naturally forms a perfect little part on his left. Those of you who know me know that I pretty much like an ultra-conservative style, and this natural way that Dominic's hair goes could not be more perfect in my opinion. But just recently, I guess as his head is getting bigger and his hair is getting longer, the natural part is moving a bit more to the center. So what do I do? About a hundred times a day, without even thinking about it, I run my fingers through it, reforming the part on the left where I like it. I hope he will like his hair nice and neat like this and that we won't someday have to have a fight about mohawks or spikey, gelled, bleached tips that scream "I'm angry at life".
Now you may be asking yourself, what on earth is this hair a metaphor for? Well, I think Dominic's nature so far seems to be naturally pretty sweet. But any time I see a little turn here or there toward the dark side, I hope I'll be able to gently, subtly and consistently guide him back to his better nature in the same way I comb his little hairs back into place.
Some of you may be saying to yourself that I am going to be an evil stepford mother, forcing my child into the mold I want him to be in with his little conservative hairstyle and conservative clothes and church and homemade Halloween costumes and geeky pastimes. Well, frankly, I kind of think that is my job as a mom. The moms who let their kids wear mohawks and dress up as Freddie for Halloween when they are 7 years old... in a way, aren't they imposing their belief system on their children? Some parents teach their kids that an orderly lifestyle is not valued and that you can do what you want because you're pretty much on your own in this world and you've got to look out for number one.
I hope to teach my son that authority should be respected, starting with God, parents next, teachers and bosses and policemen, too. I hope to... some would say "shelter" but I prefer "shield" my son from the sounds and images of anger and violence this world makes so easily available either as "news" or "entertainment". I hope to help him to dwell on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, anything excellent and anything worthy of praise, as I myself attempt to dwell on these things. There's so much negative that it takes a conscious effort to be positive, but there's plenty of beauty and joy and serenity around if one just chooses to seek it out.
Ok well enough of that...
Another metaphor I've noticed is that as Dominic is getting more opinionated about what he wants to eat, sometimes I will try to give him something and he will wave his hands in front of his face and grimace before he has even taken a taste. At first, I would give in and try to move on to something I knew he would like. But lately, I've started... I know it sounds terrible... but I've started grabbing his waving hands and shoving one bite into his twisted mouth. He always shakes his head and winces even worse.. at first. But about half the time he will stop.. I see the expression on his face change... and he realizes that he actually likes what he has just eaten. (The other half of the time he reaches into his mouth and scoops out the offending morsel and slams it indignantly onto the floor.) I hope in the future when Dominic is resisting trying something that is good for him that he will realize when I try to impose it on him that it is because I love him, and because he is likely to like it after all.
Now, I'm not saying that I think I should let him do something dangerous or that I don't run and cuddle him if a fall has produced a bumped noggin and tears! But just that the things he _can_ and _should_ do for himself, I am trying hard to resist doing for him. And I think this will only get more complicated later, like when he wants me to drive him somewhere he could get on his bike, when he wants me to write one of his term papers or buy him a car. Hopefully if I resist the urge to make his life "too easy", then he won't come to me someday wanting bail money.
That's it for my thoughts on metaphors. Here are some of the latest pix of the cupcake:
Man, those are a lot of teeth! 8 all together. If you look closer, you'll see the river of drool that is pretty much a constant during all this teething. But he keeps his spirits high in spite of his pain 99% of the time, as you can see!
I was going to put some more pictures but blogger is making it incredibly difficult. So just go to http://gallery.me.com/magned and check out pictures of Dominic's first steps, first golf-ball noggin lump, first terrible fever, new face-forward carseat, all his fashion statements and antics and smiles. Remember to click Refresh because I keep adding captions as I have time.
