Silas's first vacation

A dispatch from our first vacation with Silas:

He travelled VERY well, sleeping 4 of the 6 hours on the way to Ithaca over 2 long naps.  He was cheerful for another hour and a half or so in the car (with entertainment, of course - books, puppets, etc.), and we stopped twice to feed him and get some exercise at Lee, MA and Whitney Point, NY.  Eventually Silas got fed up with being in the car and started to complain, but that was when we were already in downtown Ithaca, just minutes away!  He cried as we took him out of the carseat for a few minutes, as if releasing frustration, and then he was back to good cheer.  Thank you, Silas!

The night before we left, he slept 5.5 hours in a row for the first time since early February, which of course was VERY EXCITING.  The next morning we found he had cut his first tooth, at age 4 months and 2 days!  It was his lower right incisor.  During the drive, he cut the second lower incisor.  Congratulations, Silas!  We are also pleased to have our teething theories vindicated - we've attributed some recent fussiness to teething, and I'm glad we weren't imagining it.

Here in Ithaca he has been THRILLED with all the company, and has been in excellent moods almost all the time.  He's been to the Farmer's Market, Saigon Kitchen for pho (he chewed on a spoon and bounced on our laps), an art opening, two toy stores (we bought him 2 puppets, a maraca and a training cup) and several other places I'm forgetting.  He's such a good companion!  He's often quiet and a bit shy when being walked around in a crowd, but he perks up and starts giggling when his situation settles down (for example, at the dinner table).

Unfortunately the stimulating new environment seems to be keeping him from sleeping well.  Last night wasn't SO horrible - I think he woke every 90 minutes after his first stretch and was easily put back to sleep with a simple pacifier insertion 50% o the time - but the night before last, he was up at least 10 times, and two of those times he stayed up cooing, giggling and kicking for a full hour.  Eventually we put him between us in bed because he refused to sleep in his bassinet (he actually rotated around and rested his feet on the wall), and we woke up at 4:45 to see him on his belly, air-crawling and grinning like a maniac... It was cute, but not what you want to see at 4:45!

It was warm yesterday, and Silas went out to sit in the grass for the first time.  I sat him up and was surprised to find that suddenly he is MUCH better at sitting.  He can hold himself at nearly 90 degrees now, and he didn't fall over for several minutes.  He also enjoyed being carried around to see the spring flowers.  Got excited and laughed at the tulips.  Since last weekend he got a slight sunburn after just 5-10 minutes in the sun, we've bought him a little white sun hat, and sitting there with his hat and a little romper with fish on it in the spring grass surrounded by flowers, he looks like the picture of childhood.  So cute.

I wanted to note that Silas is doing very well enjoying his musical toys.  He LOVES the child's maraca I got him and it's a far better rattle than any actual rattle I've seen.  I'm not certain, but he seems to bang it in rhythm.  He also now bangs on his little drum with a stick and continues to play his glockenspiel with the mallet.  He hasn't quite figured out how to play the REAL piano here because it takes much more effort to push the keys than on our keyboard at home!

Silas is now VERY interested in everything that goes on at the dinner table, reaching for our spoons and forks, food, plates, and anything else he can see.  We bought him a stable training cup and have been giving him teaspoons (or less) of water in it so he can have something "grown up" to do at the table.  He doesn't really understand how to tip his cup yet, but he holds it well with 2 hands and seems fascinated and excited by taking tiny sips of water, so I think it's a nice way to include him.  He's not really supposed to have water lest he fill up and not nurse enough, but he's huge and these are minuscule amounts of water, so I'm not worried.  We can't wait until he's 5.5 months old (end of May) and he can begin to taste foods!  From the looks if it, he can't wait either.