grasping at air

this pic was shot about a month ago at the local playground, inside an inclined, tube-like contraption on the jungle gym that leads from one level to the next.

from the first time we set him loose at the park, he'd make his way into the tube and crawl about.

for most of the spring and summer, he'd only make it about halfway up before skittering down, unable to combine the amount of strength and traction necessary to make it up the other side.

by the time i shot this, he'd made it up all the way probably no more than three times out of the dozen or so visits we'd made.

today, kris took him to the playground and let him run about and he crawled up into the tube.

because he was wearing long pants, instead of shorts, he wasn't able to dig his knees in to scoot up, so he kept slipping down before he could crawl to the upper level.

the boy began beseeching "plee, plee" ("please, please" -- yeah, also new to the vocabulary) to no one in particular to make it the rest of the way.

kris heard his pathetic imploring and climbed her 5-months-pregnant self up the ladder to help him over. (i hope she refrains from doing this in future visits.)

the heartbreak from the boy doesn't end there, though.

kris also informs me that today, when he came across the timbers that held back the mulch surrounding the play equipment, he didn't wait and raise his hand so mommy could hold on as he's been doing when approaching steps.

he walked to the edge of the play area, waited for kris and began the motion as if he were going to raise his hand.

then he stopped and stepped downward on his own.

after a slight wobble, he righted himself -- and didn't wait for mommy's hand for any more steps that afternoon.

all this in a month. he's already beginning to shed his need for us.

everyone told us the time would fly. still, it's bewildering how our moments are barely upon us before they are gone.

don't go too far just yet, baby boy. stay a baby with us just a little longer before you become all boy.