A Beginning

Dear Harrison,

Yesterday you turned 5 months old, and it again occurred to me to do this.  To begin to document our adventures together in a way that will be fun for us to look back on, and maybe even fun for others to follow along with us.  You will also have something to hold over my head later when you are a teenager and are sarcastic and embarrassed by everything I do and have ever done (really Mom?  You wrote a blog about me?  Really?)

The name Things I Can Do With One Hand has a few meanings.  The first significant thing I can remember doing with one hand was making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when you were about three weeks old.  I was really proud of myself!  Since you disliked being put down EVER, I learned to do lots more things with one hand over the course of the next nine weeks.  This included tying my shoes, emailing, playing with the dog, and making lots and lots of coffee.

Then you turned twelve weeks old, and I went back to work and you started daycare.  Doing things with one hand started to take on a new meaning!  There were many mornings when I would carry you around, not wanting to put you down since I would be leaving you with your teachers all day, and with one hand pack your bag, make your bottles, and eat breakfast.

Now that you are five months old you can use your OWN hands to do all sorts of things!  You reach for your toys.  You grab Mom’s hair and Dad’s beard, and Lucy’s ears.  You haven’t tried to grab Bella’s tail yet- smart boy!  You try to hold your own bottles.  You suck on your fingers.  Sometimes when I hold you close, you use your hands to explore my face, poking at my eyes and nose and sticking your fingers in my mouth.  You reach out your hands to me in the morning and I wonder if you are saying to me “pick me up!”  I still do a lot of things with one hand because you do still like to be carried around, and I feel a little sad when I sense these days coming to an end because you can already do so much for yourself.

I think all of our sets of hands will be learning to do all kinds of new things over the next few weeks and months.  Soon you’ll be using your hands to eat real food, to pull yourself up, and to reach for all things hot, sharp, and otherwise dangerous.  I think Dad and I will develop new superhuman resources as we use our hands to try and keep you safe and happy!

I look forward to writing more about our adventures to come here.

Love you Harrison Bug!
Mom