Assuming Good Intentions

In other news, we have an awesome finished house project. Or I should say Ron has a finished project! For anybody who has been to my house, you may remember how horrid this table was. It was damaged in our move from CA to OR, and the varnish was just old and getting all sticky. It is now beautifully refinished! You can see it shining in the picture! This was our first dinner sitting down at a table in this house. Not a very exciting meal, but at least it was at a table LOL. Yes, that is a bowl of peas and Earth Balance for Orion - one of his favorite things to eat!
So we figured we would see what Akasha thought of this highchair I picked up on freecycle, and she loved it! Not sure how much we will use it, but it is nice to have part of the time.

So I bet you are wondering what this all has to do with assuming good intentions! We had an interesting interaction and discussion at this first dinner. Orion immediately started messing with the little toys attached to the tray to see how they could be removed. Ron was getting annoyed, but I could see he just wanted to see how they worked and also figured he would put them back. Either way, I was OK with it as he was just checking out something new in the house and she certainly didn't care.

One thing I have been realizing with Orion is how important it is to always assume good intentions with Akasha. If I start expecting him to treat her meanly or hurt her, for sure that is going to start happening more and more! But also, if something has happened that might appear like he is doing something "questionable", I try to think about if I can see it differently, or view it in a better light even if I have a pretty good hunch that he didn't intend it that way.

For example, he reaches over to her in the car alot. Sometimes I think he is trying to pester her or get her toy, but I will ask him if he is holding her hand. And then sometimes he is! He hates it when she cries in the car and will usually try to cheer her up.

Also, I am realizing a really important thing, which is to not project my likes and dislikes onto Akasha! Orion loves to make loud noises. Many of them sound like he is yelling or trying to scare her. *I* don't like these noises, and I would think alot of babies wouldn't, but Akasha loves just about everything Orion does. He will make these sudden loud noises that drive me crazy, but she just laughs! So I am working really hard to feel her reaction to him. The one thing that is constantly apparent to him is how much she adores him, and I think he is just drinking it up!

So far what I have on my hands is one pretty darned amazing big brother! He often will hear her crying at the end of her nap and go running to try and get to her before me. He'll say, "No! Let me go to her and get her to stop crying!" He loves making her laugh. Sometimes she will start laughing at things he does that weren't even funny seeming. I have no allusions this lovely relationship will continue without hitch once Akasha is old enough to get mobile and go after his toys, but I am loving it while it lasts.