On Growth...

Man, where has the time gone? I know that the lack of postings in many months is probably somehow my fault, but I’m still compelled to blame you. I’m trying to figure out exactly how you were involved, but until I do, let’s just agree that I’m not taking any responsibility for the absence.

And you may be surprised that although we are talking about me (or I am at least), there actually has been a lot that has gone on in my life while I was absent. For one, I changed jobs…and then didn’t. I’m not exactly sure how that worked either, but there were interviews and job offers involved. Then there was a matching offer from my current company with promises to move me soon. It all added up to me getting an insane raise to sit here and do basically nothing. I’m currently in the final week of the government fiscal year, so that has provided me some excitement. But honestly, I’ve chosen this week to be the one that I start blogging again, so how taxed could I possibly be?

If you are at all interested in science…specifically biology, you may have come to the conclusion that baby humans seem to grow much slower than babies of the animal species. Most animals pretty much come out of the womb ready to rock and roll. Horses, elephants…most of the animals that could be pretty much eaten right away by Simba don’t take any time to get moving. Heck, even gerbils, which come out looking like a human fetus in the first trimester are pretty much ready to conquer the spinning wheel in a few short weeks.

If you think that human babies don’t grow fast, you are…well, not a parent. This past Monday, I had the privilege of taking care of a two month old at the same time I was watching K-Mad, who is now almost nine months old. This little adventure was without the help of my wife. I did this alone. I am man, hear me roar. Before I get to my point, I was to clearly state that no children were harmed during my oversight of them.

Nothing illustrates the fast growth of a child like having an infant in one arm and your nine month old in the exersaucer (or, as I like to call it, the sit-n-spin). It is amazing to me that in six months difference, there can be so much that changes. I think that babies are not unlike dogs in that respect. Not only are they like training wild animals, but six months is a huge amount of time in their development. K-Mad is not mobile yet, atleast not in the conventional sense. She can roll around the floor with the best of them. She is also vocal. She likes to be heard, especially when she has discovered a new sound she can make with her mouth…or a new decibel she can reach with her voice. It amazes me quite frankly.

So, allow me to hit you with a cliché on my first post back. Kids grow up fast. Too fast…