The Higher Nest

I want to write about our experience today at The Little Gym while it is still fresh in my mind. I don’t have a photo of our time there, but here’s another shot from the same series as yesterday’s photos if for no other reason that you can never have to much Wes cuteness:

I must admit to some feelings of inadequacies as a result of our little visit. Let me preface by saying that I am not, as a norm, the type of mother who constantly compares her child to another, but certain differences stuck in my mind after this morning’s class. I’m not even sure why to be honest. There were only 5 children in the class — hardly enough to consitute a control group — and two were older babies, but the other two were teeny tiny adorable little girls of Wes’ age. Teeny tiny adorable little girls who could STAND. Wes does not stand. Try getting him to stand. He’ll just raise his string bean legs up in the air in complete rebellion of anything that even remotely resembles standing.

Maybe it’s because he’s a giant. 29″ at 6 months. When another mom asked me where that put him on the growth chart, I told her I couldn’t even give her a number. He measures about an inch taller than those in the 95th percentile, so you figure it out. He is ginormous tall, that’s how tall. And who knows, maybe those string bean legs just can’t handle supporting all the lengthiness. Or maybe we just never much bothered getting him to stand, crappy parents that we are.

And is my son the only 6 month old with either serious teething issues or one crazy case of oral fixation? While the other babies were content to play with their sticks and bells and balls, Wes just wanted to eat them (surprise!). And toys that have gone inside a drooly mouth must go in the “special” pile. All of our apparatus were very “special” indeed, to say the least.

Baby sit-ups aided by my mama  pulling on a stick?  Oh no. Flip me up over your head? No, thanks. Count my toes and fingers: we can do that. Bubbles? Bring them on! But backward flips on a cheese wedge? Hell to the no. And one of those teeny tiny adorable little girls? She didn’t just happily complete her backward flip. She then proceeded to land in the most perfect downward dog stance I’ve ever seen. Show off.

Plus remember those “special” bells? Wes wailed when they were taken back by the teacher to be put away. I have never seen him exhibit this behavior. Maybe it was because there was an audience?

We’d try Gymboree to compare — except there are no Gymborees offering baby/child classes in our county. There is one other place I can try, the local private university’s parenting place, which offers Baby Rocks and Baby Rolls classes, Yoga for Baby classes, and Music Together ones, which another parent highly recommended.

So I’m quite torn on what to do about The Little Gym. On the one hand, I don’t want to take Wes somewhere where he’ll just be miserable for an hour. On the other hand, I think it’s good for him to see other babies, to see other adults, to try new things we hadn’t thought ourselves to do at home. And then of course there is the cost. The exorbitant cost. When I break it down to $25 a class it doesn’t sound awful (it also doesn’t sound great), but when I see that amount as a whopping $360 dollars for a semester, I kinda want to vomit a little. The university’s classes come out to $20 a class. So maybe it’s time to try one of those?

Well here they are in all their glory: teeth 1 and 2. And how cute are they?! I have to admit I was a bit saddened by their appearance at first — my little boy is getting big! — plus let’s be honest. Sometimes those first teeth (particularly the top ones, I think) look kinda awkward, don’t ya think? But not these. These are the cutest teefies in town, if I may say so myself.

And they continue to be put to good use. In fact, it seems all Wes knows how to do with his toys is eat them! When is this child going to start playing with his lovely toys in their intended ways???