Scratching, Biting, Pulling, and Loving

If you thought understanding adults was hard, try understanding babies! For example, is the exploratory/aggressive behavior described below really affection in disguise?

I can't even count the amount of times every day that Baby X digs her teeny razor-like nails into me, or yanks some hair out from the roots, or smacks me as hard as she can. Granted she is only seven months old, and this is all very normal. But what exactly is she doing?

I think she's just testing her limits to see how strong she is. How hard can I pinch? What does it feel like? Hmmm, this stringy stuff is interesting, let me grab a handful and tug it to see what happens...Of course, not in those exact words.

But the oddest thing is when she tries to "eat" me. She'll push herself back and then throw her face, wide open mouth, against my cheek or chin or shoulder, whatever is closest. Then she'll hold herself there for a couple seconds like she doesn't know what her next move should be.

In the same way, she'll grab my cheeks and try to pull my face to her waiting open mouth. Seriously, like she's trying to eat me. Like she does with her other toys. Yes I know babies explore everything via their mouths at this point, so I think the whole thing is pretty funny.

But, I've been reading some "Mom" message boards, and many of them seem to believe this is their baby's clumsy way of trying to "kiss" them. Hmmm, never thought of that. Really, they're trying to kiss us? With a big open mouth? The same way they try to "kiss" all their other toys, the floor, the sofa?

Maybe I'm wrong, and Baby X is actually displaying some genuinely affectionate behavior...But I doubt it. I think she's just exploring me the way she explores everything else in her environment.

Any of you other Moms out there want to chime in and tell us how you interpreted this quirky behavior?

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Technorati tags:
7 months old, affection, baby, biting, funny, humor, infant, kissing, mischievous moms, mom, opinion

I Have Limits To!

Now I realize I'm not the cleanest Mom in the world. I live by the phrase:

"My House is Clean Enough to be Healthy, but Dirty Enough to be Happy."

Sure, I've been known to pick up a fallen toy, dust it off, and put it right back into Baby X's grubby little hands. Hey, I'm strengthening her immune system! Not everything has to be ultra-bleached, ultra-washed, and 100% germ free...But even I have limits. And my daughter found it yesterday.

As I was chatting with Father X over breakfast, Baby X was rolling around the kitchen in her walker. I had a momentary lapse of attention, and realized I needed to check on her when I didn't hear the usual screeching sounds that she's so brilliantly learned to make of late. So as I tilted back in my chair to discern just what was entertaining my daughter into this unusual bout of silence, I was horrified to realize that she'd maneuvered her little self over to the trash can, grabbed the part of the trash bag that folds over the side, and was very contentedly CHEWING on it.

EEEEWWWWW! YUUUUCK! EEEEEEWWWWW!

That's exactly what went through my mind. DISGUSTING!

I quickly took hold of the walker (she was only about 8 feet away!) and pulled her back toward me and AWAY from the trash can. Well, apparently she didn't understand why I'd just removed her from her brand new favorite toy, because she began to cry her eyes out for the remaining 20 minutes of breakfast time. Luckily that particular part of the trash can wasn't actually dirty yet.

Oh well, that was too bad for her. I was not about to let her chew herself into the trash no matter how happy it would make her! I mean seriously, even I have limits!!