Friday, April 11

The Incredible Speed of Infant Learning

Everyday, I am amazed at the speed at which our little one is learning. He began smiling at 2 weeks and hasn't stopped since. We've witnessed him learning how to laugh and experiment with his voice. It is so fun to watch and hear him try new things with his mouth. The other day, Jeff was watching him and it was as if he was listening for his own noises. He tilted his head seeming to bring an ear higher to hear better, then he would squeal out and smile then make other noises, blowing bubbles, and gurgling. Jeff started something with him a few weeks ago, roaring. It has really taken off with all of us. Alex loves it! It even seems as though he roars back at us, at times so seriously too!
I have been privileged to witness the gears in his little noggin spinning while concentrating intently on moving that interesting tool called a hand. I often catch him staring at his hands working so hard to make it work, reaching for a toy, opening and closing those tiny little fingers.
He is getting a better handle on how the hands work and has moved to his feet, using his hands to experiment and learn about those interesting toys reaching out from his legs, trying so hard to bring them to the mouth. Watching an infant learn about something with his mouth is so adorable! So often we see infants take things to their mouth and it is to learn everything they can about the object! - What is the texture, is it hot or cold, what is the taste, is it soft or hard? The mouth is an amazing tool!
Now he is learning how to eat with a spoon and is definately learning to love the tastes of the food we eat. So far, oatmeal is a favorite, and we are working on the fruits and veggies.
Yesterday, he nearly rolled over to his tummy. Yay! We take for granted our ability to move, and they practice so hard just to make everything work! Everyday is a new learning experience for an infant and they learn at incredible speeds! We take years to master things such as technology or other trades and in less than a year, infants leap from being 100% helpless to eating, playing, walking, running, and getting into trouble all on their own. How a person can believe that we just came to be or just evolved from nothing is beyond me! We are amazing creatures, it had to take an incredible Designer to make it all happen!