My son has now figured out how to grab onto things. His hands are no longer simply these weird appendages that get in his way. At first mom would always have to move his hands while she was nursing him because he would get frustrated when he wasn’t getting any milk while sucking on his forearm. After the nursing thing was figured out he would randomly fling his arms around into weird positions he didn’t like and start to cry once again. Something had to be done.
What needed to be done was our son figuring out that those hands and arms were his and that he had control of them. Luckily, we are at that point. My son has found out that his hands and arms are his and that they are useful. He can grab onto a shirt to make sure no one is tempted to set him down. It is his little “alarm” for when he falls asleep. “Don’t set me down… I’ve got my hand gripped around your shirt so I’ll wake up if you try to get rid of me.” We’re not trying to get rid of him, of course, but he certainly likes being held.
And so it is a great honor when my son chooses to not grab onto you and never let you go. It is his signal for complete comfort and trust. When you hold him and his arms lay limp to his sides he is displaying a level of comfort and trust in his parents. He’s not afraid of falling or of being set down because he is certain that he is safe. This morning was one of those mornings. As my son looked excitedly around, fixated on his beautiful mother preparing for the day and flashing a smile or two her way I realized that he was feeling at home with us. That is a great feeling.