Catching a Wave...

So yesterday Ethan learned to wave. Well, that's not entirely true. For months Ethan's been waving--at himself, at my boobs while he nurses, at the floor. You get the picture. He'd move his hand in such a way that could be recognized as a wave, but the waving was always done at inappropriate times and most often to inanimate objects that were neither coming nor going.

I've been practicing with him, always waving "hello" and "goodbye" to him when I walked into or out of a room. I've waved to other people to the point of looking like a lunatic. All the while, patiently waiting for that adorable pudgy hand to reward me with a quick little open and close. Well, yesterday that reward went to the cashier at Old Navy. Yes, as she ooh'd and ahh'd at Ethan and waved furiously at him, the stinker giggled, lifted his hand and waved in her exact direction as though he'd been waiting to meet her all his life. Mama was just some woman pushing the stroller at that point--he was in full-on flirt-baby mode and total stranger lady got his first wave. Le sigh....

Of course then he began to wave at everyone we came into remote contact with at the mall. He waved at waitresses, kids at other tables, and the crazy lady in Gymboree (she is a whole other topic. How do you react when people are soooo enthusiastic about your child that you fear they will follow you home?!)

He even waved at people who didn't notice him or even worse, who noticed him but didn't wave back. Oh, let me tell you; little riles the mama bear in me like someone snubbing the glorious edible cuteness that is my child. A few weeks ago at playgroup, a three year old clocked Ethan upside the head with a toy truck and I was only mildly more peeved at that than I was yesterday when Ethan joyfully waved at a lady in the mall and she didn't bother to return his salutation. I composed myself and kept walking, but now I say, stranger lady in the mall: "What?! My kid isn't cute enough for you?? You in so much of a hurry to get your big old butt to Cinnabon that you can't take a second to validate all his hard work and effort, not to mention the fact that he is incalculably cuter than your kid, and wave back at him??!! Bitch."
There, that felt good.

So Ethan is now a waver. It is adorable and he is so proud of himself. It amazes me to watch him learn not only how to do things, but to figure out the when and why of those things.