Corbin has been able to pull himself up on furniture for about a month now. He seems to get stronger and surer of himself every day. He used to hold on tightly, now he holds on with one hand. And, of course, there were the handful of days at the beginning where he endured many a fall and a resulting bump on the head because he couldn't figure out how to get down, or he would just let go and topple over. But that didn't last long, and now he uses the walls, my pant legs, and anything else he can to stand up. He's even started furniture cruising, although that usually consists of walking from one end of the couch to the other, and he only does it if I am there.

When he first started crawling, Corbin would pull himself along with his arms. I didn't think he'd ever use his knees, though he would get on his knees and rock back and forth which can be a sign that a baby who is not crawling will be soon. Now he can move around the house at rocket speeds. His favourite things to do are look out the window at the passing traffic (the sills in my living room and so low he can use them to stand up), make a tremendous racket playing with Deedee's stainless steel dog bowls, pulling the plug covers off (yes, he can do that already!), and of course playing with his own toys. He has lost interest in Deedee's kongs, though they still provide some amusement. He's rather play with a toy that makes noise, or makes noise himself.

I continued to offer him food almost every day, and up until a few weeks ago he had little interest. He's still gaining weight, although not as fast as he was when he was first born, so I wasn't too worried, even though people would often express surprise that Corbin was still exclusively breastfed.

Then, one magical morning a short while ago, when the sun and the moon were in perfect alignment, and the universe decided to take pity on my poor confused self, Corbin surprised me by gobbling up half a jar of fruit for breakfast. He seemed eager to eat--he would direct the spoon into his mouth and gurgle happily. He's done this on rare occasions, so I didn't get my hopes up, and when I tried to feed him later that day, he was not interested. But he did eat the rest of the fruit the next day. So I fed him one meal a day which eventually consisted of about four ounces of food. Yesterday, I fed him two meals, and Corbin let me know he was hungry at supper time.

I feel silly for anxiously wondering when he would eat, and the one thing I would do differently is not stipulate that he was to eat "just a little bit" if he didn't want to. I probably wouldn't have offered him food every day; indeed, it was when I stopped being persistent and didn't insist that he eat that he decided he would.

Luckily, he doesn't seem to have any major likes or dislikes yet. He's slightly more inclined to eat fruit, but he won't turn up his nose at chicken or vegetables, either. I'm still feeding him purees for the time being. He has six teeth, and he has eaten finger foods before, so I’m sure he could eat the chunkier purees, but for a few weeks, I'll stick with the liquid ones until he gets used to eating.

I’m finally starting to believe people when they say he will grow out of certain habits. I've not tried to make him sleep on his own for months, though I will put him in his crib after he falls asleep in the evening. Unfortunately, most times he wakes up before I go to bed, and he is very distraught at being alone. That's usually my cue to go to bed, as it makes little sense to put him back to sleep and then put him back in his crib. I can usually expect him to sleep for two hours on his own, occasionally 2.5 or even 3. But I know as he gets older, he'll eventually be ready to sleep on his own. And I really don't like sleeping alone either, and he's less of a bed hog than Deedee, so the arrangement works perfect for both of us.

I’ve stopped telling my family everything, and have become vaguer about the sleeping arrangements and eating situation. Corbin will grow at his own pace, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. For a while, I thought it was my fault--maybe I was doing something wrong, or not doing something I should have been--and then I realized I just need to go with the flow, take advice as I need it, and discard the rest. Each baby is an individual, and my practices and lifestyle aren't orthodox if you compare me to some "average" mainstream Jane Doe, so who says my son has to do everything the same way other babies do.

I have found a day care close to my home, although they will not take him until he is 18 months. I’m secretly relieved because I am not ready to leave him and go back to work. I think one of the many problems facing kids today stems from them being separated from their mothers at such young ages. Canada is generous with its maternity leave benefits, but other countries only allow six weeks or less. I don't think that feminists who strove for equality in the workplace between women and men realized how emotionally difficult it would be for the baby or its mother to be separated at a time when her care and guidance is cruicial. I know that, when the time comes, it'll probably be harder for me than it will for Corbin to put him in someone else's care for 30 or 40 hours a week.