December 24, 2010
Finn
Looking back through the past few months of this blog it's clear that i'm running into the danger of making it "all about William". Which is understandable because he's on my mind so much, but that doesn't neglect the fact that actually i gave birth to 2 babies in August and i should be writing updates about both of them here. Finn is doing really really well with his development and has passed all his health checks and doctor's appointments with flying colours so far, so i just wanted to take some time and write a post about everything he has achieved in his short little life so far.
Finn is now just over 4 months old and he is making great progress. His head control is now very good and he only gets a little bit of a bobble head when he is tired, meaning that in the New Year i will be able to take him to swimming classes! He is very curious about the world around him and can now look at, focus on and track objects at different distances to him, and is able to reach out for and bat at or grasp those that are close enough to him with good accuracy. If he grasps an object or one is given to him, he can hold onto it with a good grip and is now using both hands and his mouth to explore it - he will bang objects onto a flat surface as well as shake them and mouth them. Finn recognises familiar faces and will make good eye contact and smile at people he knows, and he loves looking in a mirror and talking to 'the other baby' in there because we don't think he knows it is him yet! Though he will smile at my reflection in a mirror and reach out to try to touch it, and he is very attentive to 'copy me' games and will copy tongue and mouth movements, especially if using a mirror at the time.
Finn is also very vocal now and has a range of vowel and consonant noises which he is putting together into longer and longer phrases. He will also have a 'conversation' with an adult by babbling, then listening, then babbling, etc, for quite sustained amounts of time, at the end of which he will squeal with delight and then the game is over. He has a lovely little laugh which we get to hear regularly and he loves games such as blowing raspberries on his tummy and being bounced on someone's knee. He listens to and responds to rhymes, songs and stories, showing preferences for some over others and he also loves music, especially the Baby Einstein stuff which we play to him regularly.
Finn loves interacting with his mummy, daddy and big sister and has different games he likes to play with each of us. He also has a strong bond with his twin William and will often reach out for him when they are laying next to each other, and usually sleeps with one hand in contact with his brother. Finn seems to be aware that William has problems and will always wake up and cry when William has a big seizure, though not necessarily for the milder ones or the infantile spasms. Finn does his best to interact with William, looking at him and babbling away, even though he doesn't get much response. He has not yet developed stranger anxiety, so is quite happy to be passed round to different people and will babble at them and smile sweetly to capture their hearts. He does prefer spending time with his mummy and daddy though, but will wait patiently until they are free. Infact Finn is an extremely patient, easy-going little man in everything and will happily wait his turn so that William can go first in feeding, being changed or dressed or washed or bathed, which is good because William is the opposite and has very little patience for waiting at all!
Finn's leg strength and co-ordination has made huge progress recently and he will now kick for long bouts in order to activate toys on his bouncer chair or playgym. We have also got him some kick toys for Christmas, which we hope will further strengthen this skill. He is now pushing through his legs to 'stand' when held by someone and likes to bend then straighten his legs repeatedly when supported on someone's lap, especially if they are doing the 'horsey horsey' rhyme at the time! We have recently been putting Finn into Poppy's old jumperoo and exersaucer and he loves both of them, happily bouncing and standing for quite long periods of time and interacting with many of the features on the exersaucer, though he can't quite do the smaller buttons yet. He is also beginning to be able to turn himself by pushing through his feet, so that he can reach different parts of the toy, but sometimes turns his head and forgets to follow through with the rest of his body!
When on his tummy Finn is now much stronger than before and can hold his head up and push through his arms to raise his shoulders and upper torso for quite long periods of time. He can look around in this position and will reach out to interact with objects and features on his playgym. Recently he has also been trying to reach out and snag a slowly moving ball when it is rolled past him in this position, shouting with delight if he manages it, though sometimes the effort of trying to get it makes him fall onto his side. Finn can roll competently from his tummy to either side and onto his back, and also the other way round, and sometimes will roll over and over in order to get off his playmat and onto the carpet! He is also digging his feet in when on his tummy or his back and attempting to scoot upwards, but is only able to move a very short distance by doing this at the moment and soon gets tired.
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