What a 1-year old likes to do for fun

The rage at Casa Reeves-Thomas is books.  Desmond is all about the books: my books, dad's books, his books...if it's got a cover and you can flip the pages, he loves it.  The book doesn't even need to have pictures in it (his go-to book in my bookshelf is Gabriel Garcia Marquez's In the Time of Cholera), although he seems to prefer books that have pictures in it.  In reality, I think he likes pulling the books off the shelf and having me chase after him and telling him no and putting them back.  The kid thinks it's the funnest game ever invented and he'll squeal with glee and quickly run away from me to get to more books.  Sometimes, he gets so excited that he trips over his own feet and then starts crying.  Talk about manic-depressive...

One of the first sightings of Desmond being interested in books

Looks like Auntie Kseniya is more interested in his book than Desmond is.  It's because she was an English major.

His favorite books are the ones that have sing-songy rhymes.  His Grandma Donna got him his most favorite book: The Lady with the Alligator Purse.  Remember that book?  Miss Lucy had a baby, his name was Tiny Tim...  As soon as Desmond hears the sing-songy cadence of those first few lines, he throws his right hand up by his head and starts to wiggle his bottom and dance.  

You can probably find this book used at a used bookstore or library sale, or you can buy it on Amazon.

He also loves tactile books, the books with things poking out of them or where you can feel the "fur" on the doggy, kitten, bird, etc.  He also particularly enjoys any book that makes music.  

Although reading The Lady with the Alligator Purse and the Ladybugs book (5 little ladybugs sitting on the shore, along came a fish, then there were 4! Little ladybugs...) over and over and over ad nauseam is causing my brain to atrophy, it's starting to pay off: although this has only happened once, it still means that Des is learning something and showing me that the brain that I gestated is worthy of my admiration and respect.  If I say, in Spanish, of course, Des, go get lady with the alligator purse, he'll go to his basket of books, look around, and pull it out.  He did it with 2 other of his favorite books.  

Yes, Des is a boxer-briefs guy.  Here he is going through his baskets of toys and books.  Each basket has a specific type of toy: wooden ones and books on the bottom and soft toys on the top.

All the books always say that it's important to read to your baby, starting from day 1 (if you have the energy...I'd recommend week 2.  By that time, you're in a routine and probably need to do something to keep you from some of the boredom of being alone with a newborn).  I started off reading google reader blogs to Desmond out loud.  Then, I tried to initiate a "bedtime routine" that consisted of bath, books, and feeding.  He wasn't having any nonsense about a routine (he must have been 6 months at the time).  Now, whenever we're in his room for quiet play time, he'll pull out book after book for me to read to him.  Sometimes, he'll come and sit on my lap while I read.  As much as I complain about how tedious it is to read puerile books all day to a child with the attention span of a goldfish, I get such a surge of warm, motherly, protective, and proud feelings when he hands me a book and sits in my lap.  You bet that instead of rushing through the book to get it over with, I take my time and point out all of the people and things in the pictures and let him turn the pages when he wants.  I give him tons of kisses on the top of his head and end each reading session (where he's sitting on my lap) with tickles.

So excited for his new book...a touch and feel book from his Madrina Annie.

He freaking loves birds. 

OK...that last paragraph sounded like it was straight out of those cheesy parenting books that has the perfect family all holding hands and running through a field showered with sunlight.  That ain't my life most days, although when I see Des wanting to read and cultivating that wonderful gift of loving to learn (and listen and dance), then that nice sunlight does make its way into my house.  Only just a bit, though...