kinda-sorta firsts

We had a few kinda-sorta firsts this week.

On Wednesday, Benjamin ate at his first sit-down restaurant. He'd been to a baby-friendly coffee house twice, and a fast food place once. This was the first time at a place with menus and waiters — a favorite Chinese restaurant we hadn't been to since he was born. We made sure to go when we were likely to be the only customers. He loved it.

On Thursday, he did 3 (count'em, THREE) new things ... kinda sorta:

1. He may have signed "more" during afternoon finger foods. I think it's typical for parents not to know if baby is doing the sign for "more" or just clapping. Babies themselves might still be working out the difference between "more" and "yay, you're giving me more!" When he puts his fists together repeatedly, I consider that the more-sign. Clapping is with open hands. Benjamin did both. He also combined the two.

2. Benjamin pulled up to his knees on the living room couch. Not quite to his feet. Then he toppled backwards and both his parents dove to the floor to protect his head.

3. Benjamin now loves rolling around on his parents' bed. Last night, we were each on one side of the bed while he made his way back and forth between us. At one point, while trying to crawl and moving backwards instead, he went from lying on his belly, to sitting up and resting against his mother. Neither of them seemed to notice. "Did he just sit up?!" I said. Nathalie looked bemused. "I don't know!" She didn't help him up, but between the slant of the mattress and his mother's support, we're only calling this one a kinda-sorta sitting up.

Lots of kinda-sorta progress.

- papa