Grasping

Playing is more obvious than it used to be. Last month, Peter began to wake early (between 4 and five am) and move around and make lots of noise for an hour or so before falling back asleep. I was calling it fussing at first, then "flailing." On Mother's Day, when Peter began to "flail" as usual, I got up with him so that Ron could sleep. Lo and behold, he wasn't fussing, but "practicing" using his arms. When I put him under the gym toy (he was interested in this for the first time a few days earlier), he began to flail in a more concerted way, smashing in the general direction of a hanging toy with a closed hand. He's gotten more dextrous. Yesterday (six weeks later) we noticed Peter grasping a hanging toy with his thumb and forefinger; he's also started using an open hand to spin another toy mounted on a rocker. In the past few days, he's also started holding ("hugging") a stuffed toy ("Powder Puff" the stuffed bear) in the crook of his arm while sitting.