Maletch SHOCKED His Doctor!

There is so much to say about the last month's adventures with Maletch, its hard to know where to even start...

I guess we can start with his 4 month doctors checkup: So it began with the routine questions to check on his development, he asked, "Is he now beginning to take an interest in his toys?" I was trying to keep from laughing and thinking "Beginning to? Doc that was so 2 months ago!" In my pause to answer without laughing, he got concerned and asked, "Does he bat at them and seem interested?" OK, I was trying so hard not to but it just came out- I laughed so hard.

The reason that was so funny is because when Maletch was between 8-10 weeks old I noticed him take an interest in his toys. I would always demonstrate a new toy (just once) before I would hand it to him. No, I didn't expect him to understand what I did or to be able to repeat it, I just was attempting to capture his interest before I handed it to him. Well the first toy I gave him was a rattle, I simply shook it and gave it to him. The second he got his little hands on it- he shook it. He played with it for a while and got bored, then he decided to make a game out of passing it from one hand to the other (yes- already!), and then he was done with it. So that was way too easy, ok fine. So the next day I thought I would introduce a more difficult toy, again not expecting him to know how to use it- just hoping it could hold his attention longer. Well, same thing. He instantly copied what I did- Ok fine. So the NEXT day I got out a soft book and thought, "OK I know you won't get this", I sat down and demonstrated turning pages (just a few) and handed it to him. What do you think happened?- it looked like he was reading the book! So, everyday for weeks, I was doing a "toy rotation" he played with all his toys and I would introduce a new toy everyday, and I was playing a game, "try to stump my- not quite- 3 month old!" Well, I never could! If it twisted, he twisted it, if it had buttons, he pushed them, wheels, he'd spin them AND if it didn't come apart, he would break it. I'm calling this the "Try To Stump Maletch- Challenge" and you are all welcome to come with a toy and challenge him if you want. I didn't tell the doctor any of this, but that was why the question about "bat at them" was so funny to me.

Ok, back to the story about the Dr. visit: So I lied Maletch down on the exam table so the dr. could check him out- and he immediately sat up, and the nurse let out a little scream. So I assumed that she was just nervous that he might fall. So, as I tried to wrestle him back down, I tried to kindly reassure her that- that was why I was standing right there and that she need not worry about that- I was ready to grab him in a nano-second. That was not why she screamed, because before I could finish reassuring her, she exclaimed, "That boy just sat up!" I can only imagine the look that was on my face because all I was thinking was, "Certainly you didn't expect him to just lie there, did you?" Then she asked, "How old is he?" and before I could answer she grabbed her chart like she must have been mistaken and says, "That's what I thought- he just turned 4 months? He just sat up by himself!" Then she asked if I saw it, I just laughed. Did she think he had never done that before? So as I was laughing and the doctor was getting over his shock, she goes running out of the room and starts telling other doctors and nurses in the hall, "You gotta see this- this boy is barely 4 months old and is sitting up on his own!"

Before we left, I handed Maletch a toy to keep him happy. I wasn't even thinking that the doctor was going to be observing what he did. The Dr. watched in amazement, and had PLENTY to say to me and Maletch. Maletch knows what, "Oh my goodness- look at you!" means because he gets a huge smile on his face and usually laughs and starts jumping. Oh boy did he eat up all the attention he got from everyone at the dr's office! And I couldn't help but just crack up cuz I was thinking if you only knew- that's not the half of it!